


The Fox In The Woods

by Maze (LaMagieLouve)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski are Soulmates, Fox!Stiles, Full Shift Werewolves, M/M, Werefox Stiles, full shift weres, maybe? - Freeform, ooc probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-03-18 21:45:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3585168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaMagieLouve/pseuds/Maze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek finds a strange fox in the woods, he would have never thought how much it could change his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Newborn Kit

Derek Hale was five years old when he traveled farther into the preserve than he had ever done before, long past the designated area around his family home that his parents told him to stay within. He felt curious, he had been hearing strange sounds out in the woods for days and there was this smell that was just calling to him. As a werewolf Derek wasn't really all that concerned about getting hurt as he walked deeper and deeper into the preserve. Derek just needed to see what was out there that he just oh do desperately needed to know. He swears to himself he'll run back home as soon as he knows what it is, that's it, he just needs to know so badly it hurt.

It was a beautiful day outside, there were few clouds in the blue sky but the trees provided plenty of shade from the hot sun beating down. Despite the shade though it was still incredibly hot considering Derek and his family lived in Beacon Hill, California. Derek sighed, following that scent that just said "mine". The scent had been calling him for months now but he has finally made the decision to give into the curiosity bearing down on him. A curiosity that hadn't been tat bad at first, but the longer the scent spent out in the woods taunting him the more he needed to seek out whatever it was and the pull just back to much for the little boy, even one as stubborn as Derek.

Derek brushed a low tree branch out of his way as he walked, not feeling like going around it. He had already been walking for a while and the scent was getting stronger now, on occasion he thinks about shifting or just running the rest of the way before deciding he could be a little more patient. He felt like he was getting close now, he had to be with how strong the scent was. Despite him having caught whiffs of it for months now it still smelled new and fresh, a mix of the forest and herbs but something unique all it's own that he can't even begin to describe. It wasn't necessarily sweet but it just smelled so good to him that he couldn't help himself from sniffing heavily every now and again and not just for directional reasons.

Derek rumbled softly in his chest, the sound a little foreign on prepubescent vocal cords. He started to climb on a log only to slip because of a whole under the side of it that he got his foot stuck in.It was a den, he realized when he turned over from his front to look at it, slowly pulling his foot out the twisted ankle already healing and the short pain ebbed away quickly. The ground was wet and soft from rain the previous day and he almost wanted to mourn over his now dirty clothes. It took him another second to not only realize that this was where the scent he was hunting for was coming from but there was also whimpering sounds coming from inside the small den. The den was obviously dug out with the way the dirt was loose around it, soft wet dirt that he was currently sitting in.

Something in Derek told him he should just leave whatever it is in the small animal den alone now. The rest of Derek that's now screaming at him is what leads him to leaning forward and peaking into the dark den, he could hardly see inside but he could definitely see something squirming around in there but couldn't make out what it was. It was small and looked to be fluffy. Derek with no hesitance reaches in, feeling a little bit before feeling soft fur under his finger tips and gently wrapped his hand around the small creature before carefully pulling it back out. It looked like a puppy to him with dark red fluffy fur and it's eyes were still closed and it was whimpering softly in his hands.

Derek felt himself feel attached to the little "pup" in his hands, feeling it with gentle fingers as he looked it over. He felt drawn to it, wanted to take it home and love and care for it in every way possible. The little animal would have everything it could ever need and more. Derek wanted to do everything for it, already envisioning the kit grown up and following him around in the preserve. Thought about curling up around him at night and sleeping in his bed together, their scents mixing together which confused Derek because this was just a ordinary animal wasn't it? Why does he feel so drawn to it? Why does it feel like his? Like this little fluffy animal in his hands was part of him in some way?

Derek pulled the small animal to his chest, the scent almost over whelming now. What was it anyway? It couldn't be a wolf, didn't look like a dog or a coyote either. He looked over the baby animal with a gentle gaze for a couple of moments before it dawned on him, a fox, he was holding a fox kit in his hands. Why would he be so drawn to a fox kit? Derek leaned down to scent the pup, who silenced it's whining as soon as he cuddled it to him, he could feel it's nose brushing against his cheek as he smelled, this was definitely the scent he had been looking for. A sense of warmth bubbled up in his chest and a sense of completeness overwhelmed him.

Derek struggled to his feet, gently cuddling the kit to him with both hands. Derek looked around for any signs of the kits mother. He was in a clearing, with patches of tall grass and weeds strewn about some bright green and others a golden yellow in color. The log that the kit had been under was old and mossy and looked like it was going to rot away or fall apart soon. There were a couple of small trees sprouting up in the clearing, saplings while all the mature trees surrounded, leaves vibrant green and reaching high towards the sky. Derek wrinkled his brow a little as he looked around. It felt peaceful in the spot and he swore he could hear a creek not to far from here, no matter why it had been ideal for the mother fox to make her den here. Though didn't foxes usually have litters? There had only been one kit in the den.

Derek couldn't saw nothing around that looked like red fur or any signs of the mother fox, weren't mother animals very protective of their young? Had the kit been abandoned? Derek's lips curled upwards at the thought and felt anger stir up in him, as if sensing his change in mood the kit started to whine and squirm and Derek's attention quickly changed to soothing the kit with weak rumbles that sounded a lot better when his dad made them but the kit silenced quickly. The kit seemed comfortable with Derek, not at all bothered by the fact that it had been disturbed from it's den by something that definitely didn't smell like on of it's parents. Maybe it somehow knew he wasn't a danger to it?  
"Don't worry, I won't leave you." Derek mumbled out to the kit, voice soft, taking one last look around before he started to walk back in the direction of his home. Derek cooing and talking to the kit like it was a person the entire way. He figures with the way the small ears were pointing upwards it could hear him, though he was more than sure the kit was blind with the way it's eyes stayed firmly shut. Didn't baby animals open their eyes after a couple of weeks? Derek had been smelling it for months now though, shouldn't it be running around by now? Derek shrugged it off, maybe he was wrong.

The walk back didn't feel near as long and it was mid afternoon by the time he was walking up onto the porch, the kit now tucked under his shirt for warmth and it's head sticking out the collar of his shirt, it hadn't made another sound the entire way accept when Derek pulled it away from him for a moment so that he could move him. Yes him, Derek realized he hadn't even checked the gender halfway home and looked and it most certainly was a little boy. The the kit had certainly complained then when he moved him over to check and for some reason Derek felt a little weird checking.

Derek's mother, Talia came running out of the house as soon as he was onto the porch, looking worried. "Derek where have you been? We've been looking for you!" She said stepping over quickly to check him over before pausing at the sight of the little head sticking out of her sons collar. "Derek, what is that?" Her tone taking a turn towards angry that made Derek meek, her gaze turning hard.

"Um, a fox kit?" He said unsure, seeing his dad and older sister stepping out of the house now, Laura looking more curious than worried. Baby Cora curled up in his dad's arms asleep, she had only been born a couple months ago herself. 

"Derek let me see it." His mother asked, holding out her hands, her tone serious with her eyebrows furrowed together.

Derek's mother was a beautiful woman with long loose wavy black hair and dark brown eyes. That didn't make Derek want to give over is find however and he stubborn moved away from her with a scowl on his face and a defiant "no" getting mumbled out by him, hands holding the kit colder to him but still careful to not hurt the small animal against his chest.

"Derek I need you to let me see him." His mother said and his dad was stepping forward, nodding to him, eyes focused on the kit who was still snuggled up against his chest under his shirt. Derek studied his dad for a long moment, he had his father's green eyes and his dad's hair leaned more towards a dark brown than black. Derek frowned a little at the encouragement, still not wanting to give up his find. The kit was his, he felt it.

Laura suddenly bust out laughing as soon as she spotted what everything was about. "Oh my god! Derek stole a fox kit!" She howled out and the kit squirmed at the loud sound. Derek glared at his sister unhappily and a little offended. Her hair was cropped short at her shoulders for the mean time and was a dark chocolate brown in color.  
"I did not!" Derek yelled back stubbornly with a small pout, Laura didn't stop laughing until his dad scolded her, to which she crossed her arms and started to pout instead.  
Derek furrowed his brown at his mom, still unwilling to hand the kit over. "I'll be gentle I promise." She said in a gentler tone, reluctantly Derek pulled the kit out with careful hands and handed him over to his mother. 

"It's a boy." He mumbled out just as his mother took him into her arms and the kit started to whine, no, wail. It screamed and cried and wiggled and his mother's eyes widened as she quickly looked him over and sniffed it before passing him back to her son, the pup instantly quieted and she made a odd expression that Derek couldn't read. Derek curled the kit against his chest again, the small animal snuffling at his neck in search of comfort or warmth.

"Derek, why did you take him?" His mother asked patiently but she looked tired all of a sudden, running a hand through her hair.

"He was abandoned and whining!" Derek yelled, defending himself and trying to keep himself out of trouble before Talia's raised eyebrow made him calm and curl into the kit a little. "He's cute and smelled really good." He mumbled out and Laura busted out a laugh at him, until his dad looked at in warning and she snapped her mouth shut and crossed her arms with a huff.

Talia sighed and sat down on the steps and Derek followed the motion tentatively, wondering why he wasn't being yelled at. That's usually what happens after all, okay so it's not really yelling but his mothers just has this tone of voice that makes him want to run and makes you feel absolutely horrible for whatever you did wrong.

"Derek this isn't a ordinary fox kit, this is a shifter." Derek opened his mouth to ask why he wasn't in human form like Cora is then but Talia held up a finger at him to make him wait. "Cora was born while I was in human form, just like you and Laura, you couldn't shift until you were about two, neither will Cora. Well this little kit," his mother nodded in it's direction nestled into his arms. "Was born while his mother was in fox form, so he was too, he won't be able to shift to a human until he's about a year or two old." She explained to him and Derek looked down at the kit with a frown on his face, he stole someones kid? No, he was abandoned, no one was there and he was about to say that until his mom shook her head, as if reading his mind. "His parents probably went hunting and are probably worried sick now about their missing kit." She told him.

As if right on Que a wail sounded throughout the forest, so shrill and broken it could only be described as the panicked scream of a fox, a mother stricken over her missing child. The sounds continued on repeat over and over again and the pup started to wiggle in his arms and Derek suddenly felt horrible. Though part of him didn't want to return the kit still, was he bad for that? It's just, the kit smelled so right, like home and everything good.

"Come on, we need to take him back to his parents okay?" His mother said, being surprisingly gentle, usually by now he would have been sent up to his room thoroughly scolded by now.

Derek frowned a little more when he was told they needed to return him, he knew that but still, this kit smelled like "mine". He didn't ever want to part with him but he understood, there were probably two, or at least one parent, considering the yowls still echoing throughout the forest that are looking for him and obviously concerned. Derek took a long moment before he nodded with a sigh.

The walk back felt like the longest, they didn't have to follow the scent, they just had to follow the sound of the yowls and cries and the closer they got the more Derek felt bad by the concern and fear he had caused and they could hear someone yelling too now, a human male voice, yelling out some unpronounceable name. Derek could hardly make out what it was and never dreamed of trying to repeat it, he would probably never be able to say it right but he could only figure it was the kit's name.

Derek ducked his head down when they came face to face with a young man, probably in is early twenties, sweating and looking absolutely frantic. His eyes scanned over Derek and his mom for several minutes, eyes focusing in on the kit in Derek's arms before he narrowed his eyes at them and suddenly looked absolutely livid. "Claudia! I found him!" He yelled out and the yowling stopped short, it was less than a minute before a fox was running into the clearing, panting and eyes wide the whites of her eyes visible. With her superior sense of smell she zoned in on her kit immediately and yipped at Derek, curling her lips a little and his mother pushed him forward so he could give the kit back to the concerned mother. He was a little frightened over the teeth being bared at him at first until she settled just a little.

"I-I'm sorry." He stuttered out quietly, barely able to look the fox in the eyes as he knelt down to hold the kit out and the fox immediately moved forward to gently take the kit into her jaws gently, watching him warily but she seemed to see and understand his guilty face. She looked more exasperated than anything now before she started to watch him with narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry about my son." Talia says, stepping forward to explain what happened to the father of the kit and Claudia had one ear twisted in their direction, listening but her eyes never left Derek, studying him. Derek felt a little awkward under her gaze focused on him but didn't feel like it was malicious or that she was actually too angry with him. Claudia's eyes widened after a moment after hearing something that Derek hadn't even been listening too between his mother and what he believed was the kit's father. The only thing he had picked up on was that they were the Stilinski's and that the fox's name was Claudia and the man's name was John and a human deputy at the local police station. Whatever Claudia had heard a moment ago had her approaching Derek with a seemingly pleased expression before nudging him lightly with her nose, he took it as an invitation and ran his fingers through her fur on her neck as he sat down on the ground.

Claudia set the kit down in his lap and it instantly snuffled and nuzzled against his leg and Derek couldn't help but smile as he gently pet it with one finger, he was so tiny after all. Claudia looked a bit amused as he watched him but definitely not angry.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled out again to the fox, to Claudia, voice quiet. "I didn't see anyone around and just," he shrugged, a pitiful expression on his face because he felt so bad now. He understood what he had done wrong but he's not sure that he wouldn't do it again have he had the chance. He felt so drawn and connected with the little kit in his lap.  
Claudia huffed a little and sat down, watching him but no longer under a suspicious or searching gaze, it felt more, warm now.

They spent a bit longer there, his mother conversing with a frustrated and worried father and Claudia watching Derek like she had figured out the best thing in the world and looked more like she couldn't be happier the longer a spent sitting on the ground with the quiet kit in his lap. Derek didn't do much but apologize over and over again on occasion between petting and scenting and kit a little. The sun was starting to get low however and John didn't look so irritated anymore, especially after Claudia yipped at him a couple times and his attitude changed immediately, looking at the fox like she hung the moon. Derek figured they must be really in love.

"Okay Derek, give Mrs. Stilinski her kit back, we need to head home so I can cook dinner." His mother said eventually, done talking with the father now. Derek pouted a little bit but handed the kit to the fox and she took him gently between her teeth. "You have a lovely son, I hope the best for him." He mother said to her before pulling him to stand by his arm and starting back in the direction towards home.

Derek couldn't help a couple of fleeting glances back at them, back at the kit.

 

Derek didn't see the fox kit again for almost twenty years.


	2. Curious Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek runs into a curious animal in the woods, it seems familiar but he just can't figure out why.

Derek Hale sighs as he rubs at his face with the palms of his hands, the group of teenagers sitting on and surrounding the couch in his loft apartment bickering back and forth meaninglessly. Okay so they weren't really teenagers since most of them were twenty now but Derek had known them since they were teenagers when he became their Alpha so they were still teenagers to him, they hated it. He had stopped listening as soon as it turned into an argument about how they should deal with their new found problem, or "monster of the week" as some of them liked to call it. How did Derek wind up the Alpha of a whole bunch of reckless teenagers, to long of a story that is but he may have been a bit more lenient than he should have been when it came to passing on the bite, though one or two of them may have been to save a life. Derek really never saw himself in this position, having his own pack, not since he was sixteen and long before a certain Kate Argent came into his life and burned his home and family to the ground, the charred remains of the old Hale house still standing in the woods. He had allowed himself to fall into lust over a older woman who had only been using him so she could get the chance to try and kill them all. Derek's scowl deepens as he thinks about the vile woman that ruined his life.

"-Erek!" Erica yells, finally getting his attention from his thoughts that had been quickly slipping deeper and deeper into the dark side of himself. The blonde girl had a frustrated look on her face and he comes to the conclusion that she or them had been trying to get his attention for a while.

Derek's pack consisted of pretty much nothing but teenagers, a tan skinned crooked jaw boy named Scott McCall, bitten by his own uncle after going on a crazed power high. I had taken the dark haired boy a while to even realize what he was, Derek caught him mumbling from time to time about how "Stiles would have thought this was awesome" or "Stiles would know what to do". Derek didn't have the slightest of a clue who this "Stiles" was, the most he knew about his was he went missing around the time that Scott was bitten and Derek can only assume he was another victim of his uncle but didn't make it out alive. A red hair named Lydia Martin was currently the brains of the pack and also a Banshee, she had a lot of fight in her despite appearance. Erica Reyes was a spunky blonde that Derek from time to time questioned why he had ever turned her before reminding himself that it had been to save her from the horrible seizures she had. Vernon Boyd, or Boyd since that's what he preferred was a dark skinned man that had shortly followed after Erica. Jackson Whittemore was a stubborn jock that thought he was better than pretty much everyone else, previous Kanima now wolf. Isaac Lahey is a boy that was abused by his father and had sought Derek out for the bite, his father killed by the Kanima. Isaac was the only one currently living with Derek in his loft.

Derek scowled more at the group of teenagers looking at him. "What?" He groused out, arms crossed across his chest now.

"Well what are we going to do?" Scott eventually pips up, the teen had been so very reluctant to join Derek's pack before coming around and admitting that he desperately needed help to control himself and understand everything that is happening to him.

"Kill it." He said, shrugging his shoulders, it was obvious thing isn't it? Some witch was running around and they need to get rid of it before it did something more serious than a couple of people with amnesia and missing limbs, nobody was dead yet but that doesn't mean there won't be soon.

All of them tilt their heads back and groan or make some noise of complaint at his answer, excluding Boyd who just gave a short shake of his head. Derek rolled his eyes, he really didn't feel like dealing with this today. Remind him again why on Earth did he have a pack of teenagers?

"I'm going for a run, everyone leave." He says as he's walking out the door uncaring, he really just didn't have the patience today and no one can agree on a tactic to go on to kill the witch. He was barely aware of everyone emptying out of his apartment shortly after him.

He drove to the preserve in his Camaro. He vetoed changing into his wolf form and simply just jogged off into the woofs, it wasn't like he _needed_ to shift, though it did feel nice and freeing. The sky was almost cloud free and it was hot out, something about going out alone into these woods with the weather they way it was almost felt familiar, and not in the sense of I've done this hundreds of times before and use to it now but it's a fleeting feeling. Something just felt a little different today. Derek shrugged it off and kept jogging, slowly picking up speed over time.

As a werewolf Derek didn't really get tired, well at least not for a long time at least. He always kept on his guard up though, especially when he knows something other than his pack is in town, supernatural wise at least. Derek ran for what felt like hours and by the position of the sun he had been. He had picked up a bit of a sweat, which is saying something considering it usually took a good bit to get him to pick up even the slightest of a sweat. The only reason Derek was slowing now however, he was being followed. Derek slowed down to a stop near a clearing, giving himself space to fight if he needed to since he hadn't gauged what it was yet. He paused and turned around slowly. There was nothing that could describe how ridiculous he felt when he saw a red fox standing a couple yards away from him.

Derek glared at the red furred animal and scowled, really? This is what distracted him? The fox tilted it's head a little at it looked at him with bright amber eyes, so vibrant in color it almost reminded him of the gold that a Omega's eyes were. Derek huffed and growled at the fox, trying to get it to go away but it actually stepped forward and he _swore_ he saw amusement flash in it's eyes. That's absurd though, why would a fox be amused, in fact, why wasn't it running? Did it have rabies or something? Wild foxes didn't just approach and follow random people in the woods. Derek raised an eyebrow when the fox yipped at him, taking another step forward it's tail flailing in a mad way behind him in a way that he could only assume meant it was happy or excited. Derek sighed and rubbed at his face.

"This is crazy." Derek mumbled out, sniffing the air. The foxes scent smelt familiar but he couldn't place it.

The fox tilted his head again when he talked before simply approaching him and Derek tensed a little but the fox simply sniffed at his feet, wet nose tickling his ankles when he shoved his nose up his pant leg. What ever the fox smelled it seemed pleased with and yipped again, spinning in a fast circle. Derek wrinkled up his nose a little before slowly crouching down to the ground and the fox instantly jumped up on him, panting in his face and sniffing his neck and checks, making Derek scrunch up his face. It's breath didn't exactly smell good.

"Alright stop." He said pushing it away, the fox paused, ears folding back as it looked at him curiously before he believed it rolled it's eyes at him and Derek get's the feeling that the fox is thinking he is an idiot for some odd reason.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows together as he reached out to brush his fingers of the top of the foxes head, it instantly leaned in to the touch greedily, sucking up the contact before rubbing against Derek in a way that Derek almost thought that the fox was marking him with his scent. Derek snorted a laugh at the thought, this was weird enough as it is, no way it's marking him as his. The fox mouthed at his hand gently, asking for more contact and Derek complied, feeling his lips tug up at the corners just a little bit. He could consider this kind of a miracle couldn't he? It wasn't everyday that he had a fox approach him on a run and ask to be pet, or demanded it really.

Now that the fox was closer Derek could see just how red it's coat was, a vibrant red, Derek doesn't think he's even seen pictures of a fox with this red of fur, but it looked natural. It's legs looked like it had been dipped in black ink, the fur was so dark. The white tip of his tail and white belly were pristine in color, the fox was pretty clean for a wild animal. Derek noticed small black spots on his face in odd places, almost like moles. Derek shook his head at the thought. The fox was slowly making it's way up his body, first leaning against him, then climbing into his lap before slowly wiggling it's way up onto his shoulders and Derek frowned a little bit.

"What are you doing?" He questioned, leaning his head forward and bit before the fox was balanced and he could lift his head back up straight. "You better not have fleas." He said after a moment, smirking just a tad until he felt shape teeth sink into his head. "Hey!" He yelled and the fox yipped, tail flicking him in the face. Derek frowned, no way the fox actually understood what he said, the bite already healing. Derek rolled his own eyes at the impossible idea that a fox is actually understanding what he is saying. "What am I suppose to do with you up there?" He asked helplessly after a minute, lifting his hands up with a huff before dropping them back down, the fox licked the side of his face and made his grimace.

"Alright, get down." He said after a couple of moments, lifting his hands up and the fox tried to stretch out of reach but wasn't able to go far and was soon being set down on the ground. "What gender are you any way?" Derek wondered out, moving to check but the fox suddenly made a awful sound that Derek could only assume was a scream of defiance before it flailed it's way out of his grasp, glaring at him once it was on it's feet on the ground again and Derek huffed. "What are you, a girl?" The fox's bared it's teeth at him. "Boy?" Derek wondered, was he seriously talking to a fox but by the way the fox yipped happily he supposed he was since it seemed like he understood what he was saying and Derek still felt absolutely ridiculous because he was talking to a **fox**.

Derek suddenly had the urge to shift, to join the fox in his animal form and wasn't even thinking before he was pulling his shirt over his head and the fox was watching at first, and Derek suddenly felt exposed and almost wanted to cover up with the way the fox almost looked like it was _appreciating_ the view. Derek frowned and turned around to strip the rest of the way and in seconds he was in his wolf form.

The shift doesn't hurt, thought it doesn't exactly feel great but once it's over with everything feels loose and free. The shift kind of feels like every part of oneself is being pulled in all kinds of different directions before being pushed back together. It wasn't pleasant but it wasn't horrible, though he has heard that the first few shifts for bitten wolves can be painful.

Derek's wolf form was black, all black, ever fur on his body was black as night and his eyes a blood red in color, bright an gave off the effect of them glowing. The fox looked at him curiously for a moment before yipping at him again and suddenly taking off into the woods. Derek stood confused for a moment before the fox came running back, pausing a couple of feet away, looking offended and it dawned on Derek that he was suppose to chase his and Derek rumbled softly at the animal and it seemed to only excite the red creature more. The fox took off again and Derek chased after him this time. The fox was fast but Derek was just as fast and Derek's pretty sure if he actually raced him than he would win, since he was a werewolf and all. The fox nipped at his face every now and again playfully as they ran. The fox also liked to run in different directions and circle Derek ever now and again, making all kind of odd sounds at Derek that he figured were playful since they didn't sound like a scream like sound it had mad earlier when Derek tried to check his gender.

The fox wasn't as graceful as Derek has heard about foxes being. Just about every time he jumped the fox would stumble or slip and fall to the ground in a flail of limbs, same going for if he turned too quickly or sharply while running around. It was amusing to be honest, the fox was definitely clumsy, very much so. Derek rolled his eyes at the foxes antics before tackling the loose limb animal to the ground. It gekkered excitably, rolling around underneath him as Derek nuzzled against him before catching himself and snorting, pulling back and the fox gave him a confused look. The fox laid one ear down and tilted his head as he looked at Derek before leaning up and licking at his chin and the move unwillingly made Derek's tail wag.

Derek didn't know how it happened but he found himself playing with a very domesticated fox.

It was actually the most fun Derek had had in years, which wasn't saying much but none the less it's not like he ever thought he would literally be running around with a wild fox like it was the most normal thing to do. A fox that seemed to understand what he was saying when he spoke at that. The two ran around in the preserve for probably about an hour or two, growling playfully. This should feel weird shouldn't it? But there was something about the fox that was just so familiar and so human that just didn't, it didn't feel strange or awkward that Derek was literally _playing_ in his wolf form with a fox. The fox seemed to have developed a liking of jumping over and running underneath Derek and Derek would bite at his fluffy tail in retaliation. Derek was the one to decide enough was enough and simply laid down on the forest floor, watching the fox around around him with flailing limbs and Derek couldn't help but think if the fox was human he would talk an outrageous amount and would gesture with his hands wildly as he spoke. The thought was most certainly not endearing, this was just a fox after all.

It took several minutes for the fox to realize he wasn't engaging in play anymore, Derek having been tolerating the ear pulling and being used as a jungle gym in the mean time. The fox snuffled curious at his neck, his ears rotating this way and that. Derek glared at the fox but it ignored his warning and dragged a obnoxious lick up the side of his face and Derek growled, the fox wasn't fazed at all, looking amused once again. Seriously, since when are wild animals so expressive? He didn't even know an animals eyebrows could _move_ like that. This just got stranger by the minute. The fox seemed to sign after a long moment under Derek's hard gaze and literally flopped down onto the ground next to him, rolling over and exposing his belly to Derek. The move made Derek's wolf side pleased, an exposed belly was a move of submission. Derek snorted however and rolled his eyes, ignoring the fox as it began to roll around on the ground next to him

How did Derek ever come to making friends with woodland creatures? He may never know. It probably had something to do with the same way that he became alpha of a whole bunch of teenagers, but not teenagers, a couple of years ago. Fate was just weird like that, it Derek even wanted to believe that fate even existed. Though his mother use to talk about on occasion. Derek was pulled from his thoughts by the fox curling up into his side, burying half his face Derek's body and Derek huffed softly, wanting to shake his head but the motion just felt weird in this form. Derek simply went back to his thoughts. It had been years since the strange collection of people had become his pack and one of them isn't even a wolf and one use to be a creature that went around killing a bunch of people. Go figure. He could still remember when all of them were still in high school, they were in college now. Some went to colleges far away but came back when they needed to be around pack. Scott and Isaac were the ones that stayed to closest, Isaac because he had free place to stay and Scott because his mom was here along with the Sheriff who he said was like a dad to him and he once mentioned that he hoped someone would show up again. He figured that person was the Sheriff's kid, Stiles' or whatever that had went missing a couple of years ago.

Derek spent a little bit of time lazing around on the forest floor and thinking before he decided it was time to head back to his apartment, Isaac couldn't cook to save his life and last time he tried he boiled all the water out of macaroni and burned it to the bottom of the pot. It wasn't like Derek was much of a better cook but at least he didn't burn things, usually anyway. Derek grunted as he stood up and the fox lifted it's head up, looking up at him half curiously and half like Derek had personally offended him by moving. Derek ran back to where he had left his clothes so that he could shift back and get dressed,ignoring the sound of small paws on the forest floor following behind him.

It didn't take very long to find his clothes and when he shifted to human form he barely even noticed the fox pointedly looking away from him, he was sure it would be blushing if it were human. He really needs to stop thinking of the animal like it was a person. He thought that would be the end of it, Derek waved a small good-bye to the fox before starting to jog in the direction he knew his car was parked on the side of the road. The fox followed.

Derek ignored it for a little while, figuring it would get bored eventually with Derek paying it no attention. It didn't, it followed him almost all the way to his car and Derek had to stop and turn to face the fox and pointed in the direction he came from. "Go." He said shortly, the foxes ears flattened but it took a step forward and Derek scowled. "Go!" He tried again, raising his voice this time and allowing an edge of a growl to break through, the fox looked like it was pouting. Derek almost felt bad, almost, he most certainly did not feel bad or awful for trying to send the animal away, he didn't, he swears. Derek moved his hand that was previously pointing to rub at his face with a groan. "No way I'm doing this, this is crazy it's just a fox." The animal huffed indignantly as if it understood and was offended, it didn't make it any easier. Derek stood there for several minutes in a staring contest with the fox, flashing his red eyes but it was un-moving. He gave up. "Fine!" He said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Just don't piss on the leather." He said with a glare before continuing to his car, the fox following close behind him.

The fox jumped into his car as soon as he opened the door and hopped over to the passenger seat, looking at him with what he could only call a pleased expression. Really, what had his life some to? He has a hyper-intelligent fox sitting in his car and he's about to drive home with it and bring it into his apartment. Maybe he should take it to Deaton tomorrow, that would only make sense right? Maybe it has brain damage or something.

Derek grumbled as he got in his car to drive home, the fox sitting calmly in the seat beside him like being in a car was nothing new to him and Derek had half a mind to actually think that it wasn't. Something was definitely strange about this animal after all. Derek turned on the radio in his car to fill in the silence and the fox looked at him for a moment afterwards, looking displeased. "Sorry bud, my car my music." He never would have thought what happened next could ever happen, smart fox or not. The animal leaned over to use his paw to change the station, just pressing one of the saved stations buttons he had but still. A fox just changed that fucking station. Derek had a hard time watching the road after that and not staring at the overly smug fox sitting in his car.

He's definitely going to Deaton tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles is stuck as a fox! Momentarily anyway, heh. What happened in the past that made Stiles go "missing" for so long will eventually be exposed in the story over time.


	3. From the Woods to the Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek has decided that this fox really was just to smart.

Derek still couldn't believe that he was bringing a wild fox home, at least he thought it was a wild fox. With the radio incident however, he's not so sure this fox hasn't been specially trained or something. Which is a ridiculous thought. The fox still looked smug as hell sitting in the passenger seat, having thoroughly shocked Derek in a way he hadn't been in a long time, and he's had his share of surprises over the last couple of years since his uncle bit Scott and did a couple of other unmentionable things. Derek felt like he needed to hit his head against a wall a couple of times at the moment however because he has a smug fox in his car for god's sake's and he clearly needs to knock some sense into himself. Maybe he can get Boyd to punch him one good time, he was the one who was least likely to judge him for it, or at least he wouldn't say anything about it.

Derek wasn't able to brood in his self destructive thoughts any longer however because of the fact that when he stopped at a stop light the fox was crawling over the center console and settling down in his lap, cold nose buying under the edge of his shirt and pressing against the skin right under his belly button. Derek forced a frown at the movement, having to fight down a small smile. It was cute, he could at least admit that, just not aloud. He may have or may have not ran one hand through the soft fluffy coat on it's back however making the fox emit a pleased sound. Was this serious happening? Was this really Derek's life now? Watching after a whole bunch on young adults that still acted like teenagers and taking home overly friendly animals he finds in the forest? Apparently it was. Derek wasn't to sure of how he felt about that.

It was only about another five minutes before he arrived at his apartment building, it use to be a warehouse but the owner had started turning it into a place for living and Derek was currently the only one living along with Isaac in the building, though by what he hears the apartment under him will soon be finished and ready for people to move into. Derek wonders about how much his new neighbor will concern themselves or the more than likely strange sounds they will hear from time to time coming from his apartment. Derek decides that's a hurdle he can worry about when the time comes.

Derek could see from the large window that lights were still on in his apartment so that either meant that Isaac was there or everyone left them on, it was completely possible that Isaac had run out of his apartment with Scott when he told everyone to leave, those two seemed attached at the hip at times when Scott wasn't still mooning over his hunter girlfriend Allison, who is pretty much a part of the pack as well. The girl had proved herself a couple times over that she was nothing like her aunt. Who was a vile woman who never deserved to even have her name mentioned, not even in the depths of his mind.

Derek sighed as he parked his car and got out of the car, taking to fox up in his arms so that he couldn't run off and get hit by a car or something. Said fox wiggled a bit until he was comfortable in Derek's arms, being carried belly up and he kicked his legs a couple of times, pawing at Derek's face and looking pleased when he receives and scowl and growl from the man. Derek swore if the fox was human he would be smirking up at him at this very moment. Derek rolled his eyes and simply made his way inside after locking his car and heading for the elevator. He felt the fox tense in his arms and one look down let him see the fox intensely inspecting the old rickety thing.

"It's safe, it's only gotten stuck once." Derek said but the fox huffed in disbelief and didn't relax until they were out of the elevator on the top floor and Derek was opening his apartment door, which wasn't locked and Derek could smell the suspicious scent of smoke from inside, though he wasn't very concerned because he also smelled Isaac so he knew what the source was from, burned food, from what he could tell, it was chicken too.

"Isaac!" He yelled as he closed the door behind him and he heard something crash from the kitchen and the fox leaped from his arms and instead of running away to hide it ran for the kitchen instead, Derek chasing after it.

Derek stopped in the doorway as he watched the fox move quickly from jumping onto his table before leaping onto the counter and not hesitating to run over to the stove, using it's mouth to twist the knob on the back to turn the burner off before biting the handle of the pan and dragging it to the sink to drop it inside, the fox then used it's paw to turn the water on and steam rose up into the air from the cold water hitting the hot pan and the tinkling sound of the water hitting the metal pan filled the air. The fox glaring straight at Isaac who was looking stunned.

"What the fuck is that." Isaac said after a moment and gathering himself and before looking at Derek, it was clear he was confused, Derek didn't really blame him since his introduction to the animal.

"A fox."

"I can see that." A frown and furrowed brow in his direction from the blonde.

"An intelligent fox." He tacked on and Isaac didn't look amused and while Derek was surprised too he was finding enjoyment in the other's frustration and simply crossed his arms across his chest.

Isaac looked like he wanted to ask a lot of questions but went back to staring at the fox who was cutting the water off now and looking and the charred chicken sitting in the bottom of the sink. It had a judging expression on it's face when it looked back at Isaac. Isaac sputtered a bit before taking a seat at the table. "So that just happened."

"He changed the radio station in my car too if that makes this any better." Derek said, leaning against the door frame now.

"It doesn't." Isaac's eyes not leaving the fox as it got up and jumped onto the table in front of him, sniffing at his face curiously before at the already healing burn marks on his hands.

"He's a werewolf too, he'll be fine." Derek found himself saying to the animal at it licked Isaac's hand looking like it felt sorry for the blonde. Isaac was giving him a weird look but the fox back off and huffed at the boy, eyes narrowed before pawing at his nose in a way that Derek almost thought was suppose to be reprimanding. Derek shook his head as he turned to walk back to the living room. "Isaac clean this up, I'm ordering pizza." He says as he pulls out his phone and he hears a weird squeal like sound come from the kitchen that sounded like glee that definitely didn't come from Isaac. One glance back to see the fox with a wildly wagging tail and what Derek could only call a smile on it's face told all.

"What is wrong with this fox?" Isaac asked as he got back up and Derek ignored him as he dialed the number for the closest pizza place. Their sauce was amazing and meat wasn't too bad of quality either. "Why did you bring home a fox anyway?" He continued after a second and not getting answer this time either.

Derek ordered two pizza's, knowing the both of them could finish them off themselves. He walked back to the kitchen and watched Isaac scrub furiously at the pan that had been blackened with burned food, his only tool being a paper towel that was getting shredded. The fox was watching the boy work closely, sitting on the counter next to the sink before it sighed, it definitely sighed, and jumped off the counter and opened the cabinet under the sink with a little bit of difficultly and pulling out a scrubbing sponge and nudging at Isaac's leg for his attention and passing it on to him when Isaac reached down to take it, glancing at Derek with a 'what is going on here?' expression.

"I think someone trained it," the fox growled, "or it's not natural." Ignoring Isaac's quiet 'no shit' that made the fox bite at his ankles. "I'm going to take him to Deaton tomorrow to have him checked out." Derek said, watching the fox as it now has decided to sniff around his apartment, making itself at home. It wasn't at all fazed by being inside.

"I don't like that vet, he always looks like he get's some kind of kick out of us getting hurt or needing his help." Isaac said, frowning as he scrubbed but the scorched food seemed to be coming off finally.

The fox glared at Derek and made a displeased noise, tail flickering in anger and Derek found himself explaining to the fox. "Deatons not just a vet, he's a Druid and our Emissary," he shrugs a little and tries to ignore Isaac's judging gaze because the fox looks like he _understands_ what he is saying, bobbing his head a little. "We go to him for most of our supernatural needs." He adds on and the fox seems to be settled now and not upset with Derek anymore.

"Stop that." Isaac says after a moment. "Stop talking to the fox like it's a person." He clarifies at Derek's questioning glare.

The fox walked over to bite Isaac's ankle again before running off to hop on the couch in the living room, spinning around a couple of time on it energetically before flopping down on his back and rolling back and forth, rubbing his scent in. It was oddly pleasing for Derek and he had to shake his head to get the feeling to go away because everything he was feeling towards the fox was strange and he really needs to talk to Deaton.

The fox is now picking up the remote in it's teeth and looking at it curiously and then the television that the pack had insisted on him needing and Derek thought there was no way the fox actually knew how to work the re- and the television flicks on before the thought can finish. The fox stares at the screen for a moment before using it's paw to flip through the channels using the remote, eventually setting on one of the many _Batman_ movies.

"Is it using the _TV_?" Isaac asks, unbelieving at what he sees as he peaks around the door frame, done cleaning the pan from the burned food.

"He is." Derek confirms, in just as much disbelief.

"How is it that you find a super intelligent fox in the woods and wind up bringing it home?" Isaac asks, walking around him to go sit at the couch.

"He insisted." Derek shrugged as he moved to sit down as well, hoping he had enough cash in his wallet to pay for the pizza that would be arriving soon.

"He insisted." Isaac repeats back blandly, allowing Derek to realize just how absurd that sounded. "You're telling me that a fox insisted to come home with you, a wild fox in the preserve decided that it just had to come home with you." Isaac said suspiciously.

"Yes, I yelled at him to go away but it didn't move, stubborn thing I tell you." Derek said shrugging.

"No, no." Isaac said shaking his head. "You're an  _alpha_ werewolf, you could have easily made the fox go away. You _wanted_ it to come home with you." Isaac said, looking at him pointedly and a knock at the door ended the conversation, luckily.

Derek answered the door after picking up his wallet and his did have enough money to pay so that he didn't have to wait around for the poor teen to scan his card and hand it back to him he could just take his food and slam the door in his face. He could hear the teenager on the other side of the door mumble "I don't get paid enough for this bullshit" before walking away.

When Derek turned away from the door he almost tripped, over a certain red fox at his feet. He scowled at it but it was eyeballing the boxes of pizza greedily and licking it's lips.

Derek set the pizza's down on the coffee table in the living room and opened the one box that he could smell was meat lovers to take a slice. What? Derek could indulge from time to time.

"Hey!" Isaac yelled as the fox snatched a slice of pizza out of his hands and started to eat it, letting out sounds of absolute pleasure as he ate. "Is pizza okay for foxes to eat?" Isaac asked, picking up a different slice of pepperoni, looking at the fox curiously.

Derek shrugged. "Probably not." But he made no move to take the pizza away from the animal, Isaac went along with him and leaned back to just eat his slice of pizza. If the fox ate another two slices of the greasy food, well neither of them commented.

They watched the horrible moving playing on the television in silence.

"What are we going to do if he has to go the bathroom?" Isaac asked, looking a bit disgusted after the movie ended. "I'm not cleaning up fox shit."

The fox glared at him before walking away and the both of them followed it with their eyes.

"Is it?" Isaac starts.

"Going to the bathroom? I think so." Derek finishes, the bathroom door closed behind the animal. A minute later they heard the toilet flush and it took another minute before a smug fox opened the door and walked back out and hopped up on the couch next to Derek, looking at them pointedly.

"I guess that solves that problem." Isaac said, leaning back in his seat but still staring at the fox in shock.

"Guess so." Derek mumbled out and he would never admit that his voice was filled with just a little bit of awe. Seriously, it's enough that the fox can use the television but it also knows how to use the toilet, that's a whole different thing. "I'm definitely taking him to Deaton tomorrow, not even a trained fox can be this smart."

The fox rolled his eyes as if saying "duh" in the most exasperated tone. Isaac just nodded slowly in agreement.

A long moment of silence dragged out before Derek got up, it was getting late now and they had long finished the batman movie and the avengers was almost over now as well. "I'm going to go take a shower." He said, he didn't even know he was being followed until he was in the bathroom with the door closed and turned around to see the fox sitting in the tub, and expecting expression on his face. "Seriously?" Derek asked, a little frustrated. "What? Do you want a shower too?" The yip was all he needed as an answer and he sighed. "Fine." He said, starting to get undressed and he felt the foxes eyes on him until he started to take his boxer briefs off.

Derek shook his head when he turned on the water and the fox narrowly missed the spray of cold water that shot out of the shower head. Derek raised an eyebrow at it for a moment waiting for the water to heat up before he climbed into the shower under not hot spray of water. He sighed at the feel of the hot water hitting his body and making his muscles relax. He had all forgotten about the fox until he felt wet fur brush against his shins.

When was looked down he was surprised to see that the fox was making sure to look anywhere but him but also the amount of dirty water that was running off of him and down the drain especially since the fox had looked so clean before. The fox looked like he was enjoying the shower as well though. Derek rolled his eyes and picked up his shampoo to massage into his hair and scalp.

Derek didn't take particularly long showers so he was clean from head to toe in probably ten minutes at the max. He climbed out of the shower and left the water running for the fox inside so he could dry off, slipping back on only his boxers when he was dry. He frowned when he turned back around the see the fox sitting under the spray and Derek rolled his eyes as he knelt down next to the tub and slowly started to massage the fox's coat. The fox leaned into his touch and Derek didn't have anything to wash him with other than water so he washed out as much dirt as he could before cutting the water off and then trying to drain as much water out of it's fur before he picked up a clean towel off the rack.

Derek helped the fox dry off and got the foxes fur dried off as much as possible before allowing him to get out of the tub. The fox gave one shake to fluff out his coat, Derek was surprised at just how much the color of it's coat had brightened.

"Okay I think your done then." The fox looked at him gratefully as Derek opened the bathroom door and he ran out the door.

Derek rolled his shoulders and started off in the direction for his bedroom. "I'm off to bed." He called over his shoulder to Isaac, receiving a quiet "okay, night" from the blonde boy.

The loft use to be all one room excluding the bathroom but as time went on with the two men living together they decided some privacy was needed so they put some walls up, broke up the space a little more. The kitchen was still open to the living room for the most part, a large archway up now. Derek liked it better now, the separate spaces reminded him more of his childhood home. He found him using similarly colored counter tops and cabinet faces as well to that of the kitchen he grew up with.

Derek could hear the foxes nails tap against the old hardwood floors as he followed him back to his bedroom. The animal didn't hesitate to jump onto Derek's bed and curl up onto his favorite pillow. Derek was tempted to yell at it, tell it to move since it seemed to understand him so well. Derek simply sighed instead and climbed under the covers, pulling the other pillow on his bed under his head and tried to get comfortable with it. The fox was sniffing at his favorite pillow happily, tail flicking happily behind it.

"Yeah get comfy, it's just for this one time. I'll kick your ass out of my room if you try it again after tonight." He says, but his voice doesn't actually hold and heat and he can tell the fox knows that.

Derek huffs and closes his eyes, trying to sleep but the snuffling sound of the fox checking out his bed spread is distracting. He could feel the fox get up and move around on his bed and he's tempted to take his favorite pillow back but decides against it, not that he would feel bad if he took the pillow back, nah, he just had already gotten comfy with this one was all so no need to move. He scowled the longer the fox moved around, it hopped off his bed and back on a couple of times, checking out his room.

"Go to sleep." He growled out as he hard the fox try to open his closet door, claws scraping against the wood and the door knob uselessly. The fox huffed but a second later it was jumping up onto the bed again. The fox didn't immediately go to lay on the pillow this time, instead worming it's way under the blanket and turning around to poke it's head out and rest it on the pillow, it's body close to Derek and he thinks it may be seeking out warmth. Maybe the animal had been lonely spending all it's time out in the woods, but weren't foxes generally loners? Derek supposed it didn't really matter now.

Derek sighed and closed his eyes again, he was almost asleep before he felt the fox rolling back and forth, and changing position every five seconds trying to get comfy to go to sleep. Derek frowned again an furrowed his eyebrows together, feeling a wet nose press against his forehead briefly. Derek growled one more time and threw his arm over the animal and pulled it against him. "Sleep." He groused out tiredly and the fox stilled finally.

Derek wasn't cuddling with a fox, he wasn't, seriously. It was dark in the room and the fox was facing away from him, so if he smiled when he felt the fox's breathing even out and finally fall asleep alone with him. Well nobody had to know.

Derek slept the best he had in years that night.


	4. Off to Deaton's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some discoveries are made.

Derek woke up to a furry ball of warmth on his chest, a wet nose against his neck and a paw on his mouth. The last one being the one he could live without the most. The fox was still asleep when he blinked away slowly, frowning when he realized his predicament. Derek did _not_ debate whether or not to wake the fox up or to just stay where he was at, he didn't. He definitely didn't spend at least five minutes thinking about it before reluctantly sitting up, the furry animal sliding down his chest and to his lap, waking up with a yawn, showing off sharp teeth. Derek scratched behind the animals ears and it relaxed into his touch before getting up and jumping off the bed. Derek got out of his bed and walked over to his dresser to pull out a pear pants and a sweater, not the the weather had been calling for it lately since it has been warm out. Derek watched the fox stretch out all of it's limbs in a fashion that made him forget just how clumsy the fox actually is for a moment. Derek took the chance to stretch out his own tight muscles from the lack of use.

Derek ran a hand through his hair before walking out of his room, the fox behind him before darting off to the kitchen. Derek shook his head, making a pit stop at the bathroom before going into the kitchen himself and pulling out a pack of sausage from the freezer to cook in the previously clean pan. The fox was sitting on the counter now and Derek wondered just how unsanitary that it before shrugging it off and got to cooking, vaguely aware of he fox licking it's lips as it watched him cook. Derek put two extra patties in the pan for the hungry animal. He saw the fox's tail wag as it caught the motion, giving him a grateful look.

"Like I would let you starve." He scoffed a little, hearing Isaac's door open down the hall and by the way the fox jumped up and off the counter before running out of the kitchen.

He only had to wait ten seconds before he heard a loud thud that he figured was Isaac hitting the floor and him cursing loudly. All of this was followed by the sound of claws scraping against the hardwood as the fox came scampering back in, gekkering happily and looking absolutely delighted. Isaac followed in a minute later, rubbing his forehead and glaring at the animal. Derek tried to not look amused but he knew he was failing, he could feel his eyebrows slowly climbing upwards.

"Shut up, I didn't see him." Isaac mumbled out, snatching a sausage out of the pan.

"Or smell him? Or hear him?" Derek asked, wondering how on earth he wound up with a pack mate who couldn't even tell when he was about to be ambushed by a fox.

Isaac didn't respond to that and simply snatched another piece.

Derek rolled his eyes and handed the tossed the two pieces over to the fox on the floor and the animal looked offended for having to eat off he floor for a moment before chowing down anyway. It didn't take long for Derek to eat his meager breakfast either.

"I figured I'd go to Deatons as early as possible, possibly get there before he can complain about having to go see one of his 'real' patients." Derek told Isaac as he walked around to get his wallet and keys. He didn't know what to call the fox and it felt wrong to just give it a name for some reason so he wound up whistling when he was ready to go.

"Let me know what he says, I'm curious about what the man has to say about our strange house guest." Isaac said, watching Derek have to catch the fox that launched himself at Derek, looking amused by this and earning a glare because of it.

"Whatever, call me if something happens with that witch." He watched the foxes ears fold back and it made a strange sound that Derek could only think was aggressive, thought it really just sounded like a cough.

The fox was reluctant to go in the elevator again, Derek could tell be he didn't let him go when he squirmed before slumping in defeat with a huff. The fox was more curious about his car this time when he got in the car. The fox ran around wildly in his car for a good minute and Derek watched helplessly for a moment, unable to get in when the animal was going wild in his car and jumping in and out of his seat before settling down in the passenger seat, panting but looked satisfied.

"Okay, running, necessary." Derek mumbled as he finally climbed into his car, starting it up before backing up and turning down the street and heading toward the vet's office.

The drive was a little longer than the one back from the preserve but it was uneventful, not superior fox intelligence was shown this time around. Which was good, he needed to focus on driving anyway.

The fox huffed when they pulled into the parking lot of the vet office, ears folded back as he looked at Derek suspicious and Derek almost felt like it was trying to communicate with him. Derek shook his head and picked the animal up so it could run away as he walked around back to enter the office. Derek almost immediately ran into Deaton.

"Derek, what do you have for me today?" Deaton asked, as if he didn't notice the wiggling fox in Derek's arms.

"I got a couple of questions about, this." Derek said, holding the fox up who huffed again and bared his teeth at the vet.

"Scary." Deaton mumbled out, not at all fazed. "Bring him in." Deaton said, turning around and walking into one of the many rooms and Derek set the fox down on the examination table.

Deaton took the fox and began to poke and prod at him, not at all bothered when the fox repetitively nipped at his hands, unhappy with the rough treatment. Deaton made a couple of sounds every now and again before dropping his hands onto the counter.

"Your questions?" He asked, though he looked like he already solved a puzzle and Derek was frustrated that the vet was really going to play games with him.

"He's really intelligent, knows how to work the TV, turned to stove off, uses the toilet. He also acts like he understand what I'm saying." Derek gesturing at the fox when it rolled it's eyes at him. "Like that."

Deaton hummed softly as he turned away for a moment, fiddling around in the cabinet. "Well it's not a fox."

"What?" Derek asked, confused, it looked like a fox to him. He just thought it might be some kind of weird animal spirit or something.

"It's a werefox, a shifter like you." Deaton concluded.

Derek blinked at the animal in surprise, shouldn't he be able to communicate with the fox then if it was a shifter? This didn't make any sense, the fox was looking at him like he couldn't believe he hadn't figured that out before and Derek was sure he should have but it didn't really smell like a shifter.

"He's cursed, by a witch." Deaton says as he turns back around, mashing something up in a small wooden bowl. "Well not really cursed." He says after a moment and after Derek had taken a step back. "He had a spell put on his so that he can't talk to other shifters or turn back." Deaton told him and the fox nods along in agreement.

"Is it the same witch we are chasing that casted the spell?" Derek asked, if he now ha to worry about getting her to reverse a spell before killing her.

"Possibly." Deaton shrugged, adding some herb the to mash he was making, it was slowly becoming a paste and the fox was eyeballing it curious but with disdain, knowing whatever it was it was likely for him. "He should be able to shift back by now. If he has been trapped like this for a long time though he may have forgotten how, whatever spell was casted on him is only affecting his voice." Deaton said, holding up the bowl briefly before starting to scoop it into a plastic bag. "This over a couple of days with make him regain his voice and he can tell you whatever is going on here." Deaton said, looking at the fox curiously as if wondering something before turning away and writing down a dosage down on the bag in sharpie.

"So what do I do?" Derek asked, giving the fox a odd look who looked frustrated with him.

"Give him this daily and start teaching him how to shift again, I'm sure it's not much different if you can train a bunch of unruly teenagers to do it." The fox was looking at him accusatory now.

"Okay." Derek said, furrowing his eyebrows together, trying to process everything. "He smells familiar but I can't place where." Derek says eventually.

"Well it's likely he comes from around here you may have met him in the past, possibly before a time than you would like to remember." Deaton says, raising and eyebrow at him and Derek scowled, that wasn't what he wanted to hear at the moment. "It would only make sense for him to stick around some place familiar if he ever wanted to turn back." The fox yipped in agreement.

"So he lives around here." Derek says and the fox yips again. "How do I find out who he is?"

"Either wait for him to be able to talk or start looking into recently missing person reports." A frustrated sound. "Old missing persons reports?" A huff and nod. "I think he's been stuck like this for a couple of years then so either this witch did this and left for a while and showed up or the witch left and never came back afterwards." The fox didn't make a sound this time and it was apparent to Derek that the fox doesn't know the answer to that.

"He didn't go feral after all this time?" Derek questioned, furrowing his thick eyebrows together as he looked at the fox who was looking insulted.

"Their known for keeping their humanity well." Deaton said calmly.

"Is there anything I need to know about werefoxes?" Derek's couldn't really remember anything about them at the moment but he feels like the information is there but he doesn't feel like waiting around for himself to remember.

"Foxes in the wild are generally loners, werefoxes typically live in clans or family units but their hierarchy status is weaker so don't go wild if he indirectly challenges you." Deaton says calmly. "They like contact and are rather playful." Deaton shrugs his shoulders a little.

"He ate pizza last night." Derek said, not really a question but what he was worried about was blatant.

"He'll be fine, just go easy on it if he's been stuck like for a while, his stomach might get upset in the change of diet so suddenly but it won't harm him, he can pretty much eat anything. Is that all? I have a Maltese coming in for a dental exam this morning and I don't want to keep my real patients waiting."

Derek wanted to growl at the vet and he may have flashed his eyes but Deaton only raised an eyebrow at him and Derek sighed, picking up the plastic bag inspect. The fox was giving it a mournful look.

"At least I'm not the one who has eat it." If the fox would have frowned if it could have.

Derek shrugged his shoulders at him before furrowing his eyebrows. "You knew I was a werewolf when you followed me yesterday." The fox made a movement that looked like a shrug and Derek sighed. "You were hoping I would realize what you were and instead treated you like a overly intelligent wild animal." The fox gave him a pointed look before another that followed with a lick at his hands and Derek hoped that meant he was forgiven for his own ignorance, seriously, how had he not put two and two together that this was a shifter, a shifter stuck in fox form but none the less it was something close to his own kind.

 

Deaton has long left the room and Derek sighs one last time before picking up the fox so he can leave, not wanting to stay in the veterinary office a moment longer than he has to, he has the information he needs.

Derek doesn't have to wait for the fox to calm down to get in his car this time and is able to start the drive home. The drive was peaceful back and Derek was grateful for the silence, even if the only communication the fox can give is through odd sounds that Derek can barely understand what emotion they represent and by eye contact. Derek is wondering about a lot of things at the moment with the new found information. There were a lot a lot of things to think about now, like if there were more werefoxes in Beacon county, what was the name of the one currently curled up in a ball in his passenger seat, was there any specific fox etiquette that he should know about that Deaton purposely didn't tell him about? There was just to many thoughts running through his mind and in no time he was pulling back out from of his apartment building.

"Well we're home." Derek said, one glance at the fox made him pause. "Well your temporary home at least." Derek said as he leaned over to scoop the fox up into his arms to carry him back up to his apartment. The fox mouthed gently at his arms and Derek didn't bother to stop him because a second later it was licking them gently as he looked up at him. "I'll help you." Derek found himself saying, which anymore was unlike himself, he hadn't done that good of a job helping his pack for the first year or two after he became an Alpha.

The fox dropped one ear down as it looked at him before licking his chin as if meant to be a thank you before it was wiggling out of his arms and running into Derek's now open apartment door.

Derek watched the fox run around his apartment like he hadn't been inside of it just a hour or two earlier. Isaac wasn't home and Derek could only assume he was spending time with Scott or someone else from the pack since the boy hasn't shown much interest in getting to know anyone new. The fox scampered around, hopping up on furniture and sliding on the floor, tripping and flailing every now again again before it barrel rolled on the floor after attempting to stop, coming to a stop in front of Derek on it's back looking up at him with lips pulled back in what Derek could only call a smile.

Derek has to fright back his own smile at the fox before he shook his head and went to get Isaac's laptop, which was really Derek's but Derek didn't know how to use it very well so Isaac used it most of the time. Derek typed in the password three times before he got it right so that he could actually access what he needed to. Now, what was the internet browser again? It couldn't be the trash can icon because that was quite obviously the trash. Derek circles over all the icons a couple of time, very much aware of the fox now watching him with a judgmental gaze as he struggled to even open up a browser that he could do a little bit of research on.

He took a gamble and clicked the red, yellow, green and blue orb and Google instantly popped up, that he recognized. Okay, so far not terrible.

'Missing people' He types into the search bar and clicks enter and the first links are some recently news articles about people who went missing and were found dead. The fox scoffed beside him and covered his eyes with his paw. Derek scowled.

"I don't see you being able to do this." Derek said, glaring at the fox who rolled it's eyes and stepped forward, eyeballing the keyboard a bit cautiously and Derek was kind enough to go ahead and delete the previous search and leave the cursor in the type box.

The fox huffed again before slowly moving a paw forward and trying to type on the keyboard. 'Sxdeaaaa' was what was typed out the the fox was glaring at the keyboard like it had recently betrayed his trust. 

"'S'?" Derek questioned, receiving a bob of the head in confirmation, Derek deleted the access letters.

The fox simply started to point out the letter and Derek repeated it back for confirmation before typing it out, the continued this until they were done. Derek hadn't even payed attention to what they were spelling out so when he actually read it over he was shocked.

'Stilinski missing beacon county california' was typed out and Derek stared at it for several moments. Stilinski as in Sheriff John Stilinski, the said Sheriff that had helped them out a time or two before and new about the werewolves in Beacon County and hadn't been very shocked at the information that they existed. The same one that was currently dating Melissa McCall, Scott's mother.

"You're Stilinski's son?" He asked, suddenly remembering that the same Sheriff had a missing son that had disappeared a couple years ago, the same son that had also been Scott's bestfriend since childhood. The fox nodded at him. "You're Style?" He asked and the fox pulled it's black lips down into a frown. "Stiles!" He said a little louder as the actual name came to mind, remembering Scott's mumbling and the fox yipped, tail wagging behind him across the coffee table.

"The Sheriff is a werefox?" He asked more to himself, wouldn't he have at least noticed. The fox, Stiles, bit his hand and shook his head. "He's human then." A nod. "So your mother was a werefox." Stiles' ears flattened back and he looked sad suddenly but he nodded his head. Derek sighed, and rubbed a hand over his face. "We really need to get you back to talking." He said, standing up as he pulled the weird green paste out of his pocket and going to his kitchen as he read the instructions, a table spoon as day until speech came back or it was gone.

It wasn't like Stiles would actually talk, no, communication in animal form was more telepathic, speaking from one mind to another. Their vocal cords in animal form weren't capable of human speech.

Derek was still mulling everything over as he held out spoon with the paste on it to Stiles, who grimaced before slowly starting to lick it off, cringing at the taste. It had a pungent smell to go along with the likely bitter taste as well. "Your father knew all along what we were, that's why he wasn't surprised when we told him. Melissa was the only one who was shocked."

Stiles was suddenly staring at him like he had just did the absolute worst thing possible and Derek suddenly became aware that he hadn't told Stiles he was okay but instead telling him about how he dragged them back into their world. "He's okay." Derek assured him and Stiles looked comforted by the information. "I should call him and tell him I found his son." Derek said in a low voice but the scream he got in response was horrible and stopped the thought immediately in it's tracks. "What?"

Stiles couldn't talk so he only continued to make a horrible sound that was starting to hurt Derek's sensitive ears, making him wince at the pitch.

"Alright! No calling!" Derek yelled, frustrated and just wanting the noise to stop. It was immediately quiet in the apartment again and Derek scowled with a raised eyebrow at the fox. "You don't want your father to know you are alive."

Stiles was giving him an odd expression and Derek had to dig into the depths of his social skills to come to understand that the expression read that it wasn't fair for Derek to accuse him of things at the moment while Stiles can't explain himself or anything really.

"Alright, I'll save a lot of the hard questions for when you can talk again." Derek said, shaking his head. Why was he doing this again? This amount of kindness wasn't exactly in his nature anymore.

Then again something about Stiles called to him, made Derek want to be close to him and keep him all to himself. Derek felt lighter and better than he had since he was sixteen and long before he meet a certain woman who changed his life for the worst. Stiles scent still tugged in the depths of his mind, trying to pull up memories from long ago, from a time he remembers only briefly anymore because he represses the happiest times of his life. Derek felt like he wasn't worth even to think about his family after what he had done, what had happened to him because of his own inability to see what was right in front of him.

Stiles pawed at his hand, pulling him from his thoughts, looking at him with a gentle gaze with bright amber colored eyes. Derek knew he wasn't being pitied, no Derek would have gotten angry if he was being pitied. There was nothing but understanding and acceptance in those eyes.

Derek suddenly felt like his life was about to change.


	5. Voices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited and surprise.

It's been a couple of days since Derek had brought Stiles into his home, it had been almost a week of him being able to keep the rest of the pack away other than Isaac. Tonight was the last Friday of the month and so it was pack night. The night that hunting for the witch was put aside for the pack to just spend time together eating take out and watching movies. Derek found himself actually feeling nervous though he's not exactly sure why. Maybe it was because Scott was coming over and the wolf doesn't know that Derek is currently housing his best friend stuck in his fox form at his apartment. Maybe he was worried about the pack not liking Stiles, which was weird. Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, Stiles was sitting on the couch, head tilted to the side as he watched Derek walk around the apartment, stopping to pick up a pillow that the fox had knocked off the chair earlier after running around.

Stiles hadn't gained his voice back yet and Derek was starting to wonder if Deaton had tricked him but there was still enough of the weird paste int he bag for a couple of days so hopefully some kind of result will show itself soon, Stiles was starting to look disappointed that nothing was happening yet. Derek could tell he had been hoping for a fast change and had received nothing so far. Derek slowed down to scratch behind his ears and Stiles' eyes slipped shut momentarily and he made a pleased sound at the contact. Stiles had proved himself to being very needy of contact, always cuddling when he wasn't running around or trying to trip Isaac. One night the curly haired blonde had left his bed room door open and Stiles' too the opportunity to wake him up shoving a live mouse he caught in the building into the boys bed. Isaac wound up with seven bites before rolled over on top of it.

Derek didn't have much longer to think about anything because Erica and Boyd were walking through the door, Derek never really bothered to lock it when he knew his pack was coming over since no one ever bothered to knock and seemed to get personally offended when the door was locked so that they had to.

"I've brought everyone's favorite." Erica says holding up a bag of Chinese food before pausing when she spots the fox currently sitting on the couch. She blinks for a moment and Boyd is uncaring as he takes the food from his mate to go and place it in the kitchen. "It's so cute!" Eventually she shouts and drive for the fox who bites her on the arm hard enough to puncture before leaping for Derek who struggled to catch him so suddenly. Erica was pouting, rubbing at the bloody wound on her arm, it would be healed in no time.

"I don't think he enjoys being tackled." Derek said, Stiles pawing at him to loosen his grip and the fox climbed up onto his shoulders to lay there across from them. Stiles snorted at Erica and watched her with narrowed eyes.

"How sad, he's already gotten attached to you. You sir mister fox are going to regret that, Derek's not exactly the nicest person." Erica said, smirking and the fox huffed again and rolled his eyes as if saying he already knew that and Erica looked at the animal in surprise. "Did it just understand me?"

"Considering he's not just a fox, yes." Derek said calmly, petting Stiles with a gentle hand, deciding to ignore the jab this one time.

"What so werefoxes exist now too?" Erica asks, rolling her eyes before noticing that Derek was looking at her completely serious. "They do!"

Stiles sighed and placed a paw over his eyes for a brief moment.

Erica wasn't really able to say anything more, or if she did it went ignored because more people were coming in the door. This time Jackson and Lydia, Stiles made some kind of horrible noise and stood up on his shoulders, glaring directly at the boy that came in. Stiles moved back and forth on Derek's shoulders, nails digging into his shoulders uncomfortably that he had thankfully let Derek cut recently so they weren't breaking skin. Derek was taking it that Stiles recognized Jackson and wasn't too pleased about seeing him.

Jackson's eyes flashed at Stiles for a moment and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Why do you have a wild animal in here?"

"I don't know Jackson why are you here?" Erica butts in, slowly reaching up to try and touch Stiles who allowed the contact this time but was now having a staring contest with the jock, Jackson had taken to playing lacrosse even in his College years.

"You know what I meant." He ground out, seeming to have enough knowledge to not try and start a fight in Derek's apartment again, last time someone got thrown out the window and that wasn't too terribly fun explaining to the landlord who hadn't been very happy about it and of course Derek had to pay for the damages.

The fox made a strange sound that sounded like a cough that Derek knew was defensive, watching as Jackson walked in and promptly sat down on the couch, Lydia at his side but the red head was looking at the fox with a bit of wonder in her eyes, like she was trying to figure a puzzle out. Derek was pretty sure she would figure out before he even let everyone know what was going on in concern of the red furred animal.

Isaac had taken his time about coming out of his room, looking a bit wary as he glared at Stiles. Isaac was the only one who knew about Stiles so far out of the pack and he hadn't been very happy when the fox decided to sneak into the bathroom and flush to toilet while he was showing this morning. Derek swore Stiles laughed for a good five minutes rolling around on the floor, if the sound that he was making could be called a laugh at all that is.

Allison and Scott were late, which honestly wasn't that big of a surprise. Everyone settled down on the couch and the put int he first movie for the night, some romance story that everyone but Lydia and Erica had agreed to just get out of the way. Derek honestly didn't care what movie they watched however but Jackson had almost sobbed when the title 'Dear John' came on the screen. Stiles looked a little too amused by this from his place on Derek's lap.

When the apartment door opened once more a brown haired woman with soft curls walked in with a smile on her face, followed by a tan skinned boy with black hair a tattoo of two rings around his arm. It took not even for a second for Stiles to forget all about Derek as he launched off his lap, which Derek wasn't really able to mourn the loss of the fox because his groin was killing him at the moment from having twenty-five pounds use it as a launch pad. Stiles was making a serious of excited sounds, tail flailing wildly as he rubbed against and pawed at Scott's legs, leaving the boy stunned.

"You got a pet fox?" Scott asks dumbly and Derek frowns and wants to hit him but Stiles bit his hand, not puncturing his skin but enough to get his attention again.

Lyrdia picks up the remote to pause the movie, now that everyone was here she knew they were going to be getting some kind of explanation as to why the fox was here. Stiles is still making happy sounds and Scott eventually picks him up in his arms and Stiles starts to lick his face and scent him heavily. Scott still looked very confused as he held the wiggling animal in his arms.

"Pack, this is Stiles." Derek says as he gestures to the fox that Scott was holding and everyone suddenly looked both sad and angry as they looked at Derek, they had all heard the name before.

"Dude." Scott is the one to actually say anything though and his eyes are glowing blue a little and he simultaneously looked like he wanted to kill Derek and cry and Derek realized now was not the time for brevity.

"This is the real Stiles, he's a werefox and he's stuck in animal form because of a witch. That's why he went missing years ago." Derek says and Stiles is finally starting to calm down in Derek's arms.

"You're serious?" Allison says, eyes narrowed a little before she is inspecting the fox. Being a hunters daughter would give her the upper hand in confirming Derek's claim. She pulls a silver coin out of her pocket, some things never change after all. Stiles stares at the coin for several moments as if trying to understand this was actually happening until Allison moved it towards him and he let out a loud bark in alarm and tried to worm away, Allison pocketed the coin again and Stiles glared at her with distrust. "He's serious."

"So a witch turned him into a werefox?" Scott asked, looking at Stiles with wide eyes, he still looked a bit skeptical but there was a lot of hope there.

Derek scowled, was he really that dense? "No, he's always been a werefox." He says, voice a bit gruff but he'll chalk that up to getting hit in the balls a moment ago. "The witch just made him stuck in this form and took his voice. Well the one that prevents him from talking with us." He tacked on at the end when Stiles made a sound at him.

"So this is really Stiles?" Scott asks and Erica groans.

"Yes, this is Stiles, that boy you've been mumbling about since forever." She says, waving her arms in frustration before leaning back into the couch.

Scott was blank for several seconds before large grin broke out against his face and then he was squashing Stiles against him and while it looked like Stiles would have enjoyed the hug if only Scott was a bit gentler instead he made a noise of pain and Scott instantly looked apologetic. "Sorry buddy, I've just missed you so much." Stiles made a small rumble and nuzzled him, tail wagging. It was safe to say he missed him too. 

Scott moved to sit on the floor in front of the couch, taking Stiles with him. "You've missed so much. It's been years, well you probably know that." Scott paused for a moment. "If we can't understand him can he understand me?"

"Yes, he's made himself quite at home here."

Scott nodded, looking pleased and ecstatic like the best thing just happened to him and Derek thought briefly that it might have.

"You probably already figured this out then but the night you went missing, the night _you_ dragged me out into the woods I got bit and turned into a werewolf. If you had been there you would have figured it out a lot sooner than I would have ever, especially considering your actually a were fox." Scott paused for a moment. "Which, you totally could have told me a long time ago, like now that I think about it it makes a lot of sense. The big blanket nests, the eating hot dogs raw at my birthday party because you hadn't eaten all day and were really hungry-" Stiles pawed at his face to get him to stop telling embarrassing things that he had done in the past, ears back and a accusing expression on his face when he glared at Scott. Scott laughs like he immediately understands it. "Too much?" A bob of the head in confirmation.

Derek was not jealous about Stiles no longer paying attention to him at the moment, about how much Scott knew about him or how well they got along. He wasn't. Why would he be jealous over Scott? The boy has known Stiles like all his life, they were just friends. Besides Stiles is still staying here. He's still staying here isn't he? Derek frowns deeply and furrows his eyebrows, mood slowly going sour, more so than usual. What if Stiles wanted to go live with Scott now that he had been reunited with his best friends, forgets all about Derek. Derek shakes his head. Why does it matter? It shouldn't matter, Derek's only known Stiles for a couple days, a couple of days that he hasn't even been able to talk to Stiles really.

It doesn't matter. Whatever Stiles decides. 

The rest of the night passes without incident, well Stiles may have decided to chew Jackson's shoes, while they were still on his feet. And he may have tried to make popcorn himself and wound up burning his mouth and screaming while simultaneously spilling it all over the floor and Derek had to sweep it up and Derek had been tempted to make Scott do it, since the boy was following Stiles every where he went like a lost puppy and could have easily prevented the mess. "He growled at me! I wasn't getting involved!" Scott had said under Derek's red eyed glare.

Stiles had spent most of his time with Scott but at one point had crawled into Derek's lap and demanded belly rubs. Derek had definitely not preened over the fact that Stiles still wanted him, even if it was just for pets.

It was late at night and everyone but Erica and Boyd were heading out before Scott pipped up and said. "Stiles we have to tell your dad your alright!" Just as when Derek mentioned it Stiles let out a horrible scream like sound that made even Boyd flinch, Derek was quick to intervene before Stiles could do it again.

"He doesn't want that yet."

"Why?" Scott asked, furrowing his eyebrows and looking at Stiles sadly. "He's been worried sick about you." He says softly and Allison places a hand on his shoulder gently, Stiles looked sad as well.

"I don't know why and he'll probably explain when he can talk again." Derek said, picking Stiles up off the couch so that Erica and Boyd could pull out the mattress in it. Derek thought that maybe Stiles didn't want to see his dad when he could hug him with his own actual human arms or actually talk to him.

"When will that be?" Scott questioned, looking like a sad puppy.

"Don't know yet, we're working on it, hopefully soon." Derek told him, scratching behind Stiles' ears.

"Okay. Let me know when it happens?" He asks, shuffling on his feet a little bit and Derek is suddenly reminded of the awkward teenager again that he had found wandering out in the woods after a full moon trying to figure out what happened to him. Luckily Scott had never hurt anyone, just the local wildlife.

"Of course." Derek said with a grunt, rolling Stiles over so he was in his arms belly up, Stiles wiggled a bit before realizing he wasn't going anywhere and settling down with a huff.

Scott nodded one last time with a good bye to Stiles personally before leaving.

Derek wasn't not silently pleased and gloating over Stiles staying with him.

Derek placed Stiles down after everyone had left, and went to get ready for bed, the click of nails on the floor behind him let him know Stiles was right there behind him the entire time. Derek stripped down to nothing but his boxer briefs, shut the lights off and left the door cracked for Stiles in case he wanted to wander in the night or try and take his pillow to build a nest in a far corner of the apartment again. Yeah, Derek's already encountered Stiles trying to den in his home, like he said, making himself at home.

Just like the first night Derek fell asleep with a arm thrown over Stiles and holding him against him, it most certainly wasn't cuddling.

_Smoke constricted his lungs in a vice grip, tightening and tightening, no air coming in. Bright red fire burning in his eyes, licking at his finger tips as he stumbled, coughing, gasping for anything that he can breathe that didn't feel like a iron weight being put on his chest. Screams echoed in his ears, familiar voices calling for help. Laughter sounded out from inside his head._

_Derek was gasping, and he could feel the heat consuming him. There was a sudden pressure on his face, gentle but nudging, stirring him from his daze as he watched the wall in front of him be consumed in flames. What felt like hands cradled his face in a gentle embrace._

_" **Come on big guy."** A soothing voice that felt surrounded him in cool air, counter acting the fiery heat. He felt himself being led away. A beautiful face. Light alabaster skin with flecks of moles on his checks and neck, big beautiful amber eyes with dark lashes framing them gracefully, stylishly messy brown hair on top of his head. Large hands with long fingers gently touching him and never letting go._

_" **You're having a nightmare. Wake up.** " Plump pink lips moving but the words were almost silence, distant. Fire swarming behind him._

_" **Wake up!** " The boys being swallowed by blazing heat._

**_"Derek!"_ **

Derek's eyes flew up and the beautiful man's face was gone, a foxes looking down at him, familiar amber eyes filled with concern. Derek blinked a couple of times, his muscles feeling achy and he's covered in a thick layer of sweat in the worst kind of way. The fox didn't move his paw off his face, watching him like he was about to do something horrible.

"Stiles?" He croaks out, throat feeling raw like he has been yelling.

"Oh thank fucking god, you were having a horrible nightmare." Stiles said, well not really said but his voice was like smooth silk in his head, cooling and relaxing.

Derek could only stare with wide eyes.


	6. From the Fox's Mouth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well Stiles can talk again, what does he have to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the longish wait, I had been feeling good when I posted everyday but I have a couple of things going on that will make chapter posting spastic, one after another some days and sometimes days before the next post.

Derek was more than sure that he would never want to see the actual expression on his face because he can feel that his mouth is open a little like a fish and his eyes were a bit wide as he stared at the fox, at Stiles. Who was currently looking at him with concern over the fact that he had just woken Derek from a nightmare and Derek thinks for a moment that Stiles must be wondering if he went into shock or something. The voice he had heard in his dream was no doubt Stiles', was that man Stiles as well then? Derek hadn't seen a actual picture of Stiles, not from Scott and after Stiles confirmed who he was he didn't bother to try and research anymore. Derek was really bad with a computer after all.

Derek's throat just a little raw and he wondered if he had been screaming in his sleep but he is sure that his pack members would be in the room if he had been. Derek rubbed at his throat a little bit as he sat up, eyebrows furrowed together and his other hand supporting his weight. Stiles backed up a little to give him some space but stayed close.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked, ears pressed as flat as possible against his head and his tail low and just a little bit tucked between his hind legs, head tilted just a little. "You were grunting and groaning in your sleep something terrible and then you were crushing me with that super wolfy strength on yours and I thought you were going to crush my ribs you were squeezing me so hard." Stiles continued when Derek didn't answer right away, rambling on and Derek could only briefly wonder if this was how he talked when he was human too, and if he breathed at all as a human. "I managed to wiggle free through, which was some serious work I tell you, you clung to me like a life line and you looked like you were in a lot of pain and was sweating and Were's don't sweat much so I was really concerned over here and I wanted to desperately to be able to talk to wake you up because pawing and biting at you wasn't working, which by the way sorry about that."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows more in confusion, looking down at his arms and his hands and sure enough all the way to his elbows were covered in already healing bite marks and scratches. "You can talk now." Derek said, just a bit numb because he hasn't fully caught up mentally yet.

"Yeah which is great but I'm a bit more concerned about you, big guy." Stiles said, ears slowly perking up again.

Derek stared at Stiles in surprise for a long moment. Derek was already aware that Stiles had been concerned but having him actually say it was a whole different matter and his made his heart speed up a little bit and him feel a little lighter. Derek hadn't had someone actually say they worried or cared about him in a long time, not even his pack and even though it hadn't been quite what Stiles said, you have to care at least a little bit to be concerned about someone. It made Derek feel good.

Derek shook his head a little to clear his mind and cleared his throat, and thought for a second about getting up to get a drink of water. "I'm fine, just a nightmare."

"No shit, sourwolf." Stiles said and Derek wondered if he had a knack for calling people by shitty nicknames that he gives them. Sourwolf? Really? Stiles sat down on the bed with a sigh. "I won't ask about what it was since I don't think you'll feel like opening up to me about whatever it was at the moment but if you are I'm all ears." As if to prove his point Stiles rotated his ears a bit.

Derek sighed and run a hand through his hair. "No, I don't fee-" A heavier sigh. "I can't talk about it right now." Derek said, shutting his eyes for a moment.

"Well if you ever feel like talking about it I'll come running to listen." Stiles said and Derek believed him. Derek usually doubted everything that came out of someones mouth but Derek didn't doubt Stiles and little bit that he would come running from where ever he was to listen to Derek's problems and demons.

Derek felt the corner of his mouth tug up a little bit and Stiles' tail swayed a little, not missing it. "Okay." Derek said after a pause, scratching behind Stiles ears the fox made a soft sound of enjoyment.

"You have no idea how good that feels, this and belly scratches are like heaven." Stiles said, scootching closer to Derek.

"I bet, considering you demand for them so much, you literally pushed my food out of my hands so I would pet your belly." Derek said, amused with a small smirk on his face, Stiles flopping over onto his beck for Derek to pet his stomach and Derek used blunt human nails to scratch at his chest and Stiles kicked his hind foot a little.

"Should I be calling Scott or your dad yet?" Derek asked after a bit of silence and petting.

"No!" Stiles made a odd sound after that. "Um, I mean, you can call Scott tomorrow, he'll understand, I don't want to call my dad until I can turn into a human again." Stiles' ears folded back again. "It's selfish, I know, he's probably worried sick." Stiles added on before Derek could even say anything. "I just, I want to be able to actually hug him and talk to him while I'm a person and he's going to keep a obsessive eye on me anyone but it will be a bit better when can actually take care of myself better."

"I understand, okay maybe I don't really," Derek tacked on at Stiles' look. "But I'll respect your wishes." Derek said, shrugging his shoulders a little and only a little bit worried about ruining his already strained rep with the Sheriff, he may not have it out for Derek anymore but he still gives him a look from time to time that put Derek a little on edge and now knowing that he knew about the supernatural all along and never let on he did makes it all the worse.

"Okay, thanks, all I have to do then is convince Scott to not go running to my dad then and he's not all that good at keeping secrets in the first place." Stiles said, sounding just a little frustrated but fond all the same.

Derek hums a little in acknowledgement and nodded his head just slightly, starting to feel tired now, his sleep before hadn't been that fulfilling.

"Want to go back to sleep?" Stiles asked, not missing a beat when he saw Derek's drowsy expression.

Derek grunted and said nothing as he wrapped his arms around Stiles and laid back, using one hand to pull the covers back up over them. It took very little time for them both to settle down into a much better sleep for the rest of the night.

-

They woke up close to afternoon the next day, Derek could tell by the way the light was shinning into his apartment and by how everyone else was up too since Derek usually got up first out of everyone.

"Morning." Erica said from her seat at the table in the kitchen while Boyd was at the stove making what smelled like pancakes and bacon and not the microwave kind for once but the actually real bacon sizzling in the pan. 

Derek nodded his head in greeting, his hair a mess on top of his head from his pillows and moving a little in his sleep, Erica look amused as he eyes watched him walk slowly over to the cover maker to pour himself a cup after he grabbed a mug out of the cabinet. Derek wasn't much of a coffee drinker but he felt like he needed a good cup this morning, afternoon? 

Stiles was trotting in behind him and hopping up on the counter to lap out of the cup sitting on it with water in it, it was always filled and the first time Derek tried to put it in a bowl or on the floor Stiles knocked it over. Derek learned quickly that Stiles refused to be treated like a pet or just an animal, despite the little nest he's making in the corner of the apartment. No matter how many times Derek picked it up ever item found it's way back there an hour later without Derek even noticing until it's already there. He gave up and allowed his shirts to be stolen along with the spare blankets and a couple of other odd objects.

"Boyd you better be making extra for me." Stiles said as he turned to look at what the dark skinned male was making at the stove. Boyd didn't even flinch or look surprised, simply nodding his head as he poured more batter into the pan. Erica was the only one with a surprised expression.

"You're talking now!" She shouted, pointing at him and Stiles gave her a odd look.

"Yes?"

"Don't give me that attitude, you weren't yesterday." Erica said, dropping her phone down on the table before turning to Derek. "Did you call Scott."

"Not yet." Derek grunted out before taking a long drink of his coffee, sighing afterwards at the feeling of the hot drink going down his throat and warming his body, bitter taste on his tongue with the bit of milk and sugar he mixed in.

Stiles laid down on the counter, nose twitching at the smell of the meat cooking nearby but was watching Derek, his expression unreadable to him.

Derek heaved out a heavy sigh as he went to pick up his phone out of his room from where he left it. He was frowning at it as he struggled to scroll through his contacts to get to Scott so that he could call him. It took him several long suffering moments before he had the phone dialing.

"Hello?" Scott answered after three rings.

"Something happened to Stiles, get over here." Derek said before hanging up and both Erica and Stiles were staring at him in shock, Stiles more than the beta wolf who was much more use to Derek's blunt and very cryptic ways of wording things.

"You just made it sound like I'm dying." Stiles said, narrowing his amber eyes at the alpha werewolf.

"He'll get here faster then." Derek shrugged, moving to sit down at the table, taking another sip of his coffee.

Stiles rolled his eyes as dramatically as he could, knowing it would probably only be minutes for his best friend to come running in the door. In the mean time Stiles greedily ate um the slices of bacon that Boys passed his way, raw or cooked he happily chowed down. Erica made a bit of a face when he practically inhaled a raw slice of the meat.

"Gross." She mumbled out, the blonde woman never have been very fond of eating raw, even in her wolf form, though she will eat a rare steak so maybe it's a bit hypocritical.

"Delicious." Stiles responded back smugly licking his chops. Boyd looked a bit amused by everything and started to plate the food, passing Stiles a couple of pancakes to which the fox glared at. "No syrup?" He asked, sounding just a bit sad.

Derek rolled his eyes and got up to put the pancakes given to Stiles on a plate before pouring a significant amount of syrup over them before passing them back over to Stiles and then going back to sit at the table wordlessly.

"Is that okay for him to eat?" Erica asked, pouring a bit of syrup over her food before using a fork to dig in.

"Deaton said it was." Derek said, spreading jam over his pancakes, he wasn't much of a syrup fan.

Stiles had been right, by the time everyone was done eating Scott was running in the door, panting lightly as he looked around until seeing Stiles, perfectly fine, where he was now sitting on the couch watching TV.

"I though," he trailed off on the end, looking confused as he straightened himself out, slowly walking over to Stiles.

"Nah, Derek's just dramatic." Stiles said, one ear folding back and Scott gaped like a fish, mouth open and closing a couple of times in a little 'o' shape, it was amusing to watch.

Scott furrowed his eyebrows together, processing what just happened before a large grin broke out across his face. "Bro! You can talk again!" He yelled, hurrying to sit down on the couch.

"I know bro!" Stiles shouted back, just as excited tail wagging.

Scott paused for a second, eyebrows furrowing together and as always one would be reminded of a puppy when looking at the young man. "Is the fox thing why you always bit me?" Scott asked, tilting his head a little.

Stiles looked down in embarrassment and Derek watched from afar with great amusement but heavy interest as well, not that he would ever admit that he was interested in knowing more about Stiles. No matter how much Isaac said he did, always having a smug grin on his face, it made Derek want to make him do laps around the preserve.

"Heh, yeah." Stiles said, looking around for a moment, tail curling around his feet. "Werefoxes don't really have a rank structure like wolves do, we have people who are more dominant and kind of a 'top fox' and that was me," Stiles paused for a second, "putting you in your place or trying to correct your behavior." Stiles said, looking half humored by this and half mortified.

"You bit me once because I tried to put off homework for video games, which you usually did." Scott said blandly, looking at his arm like a mark use to be there. "I had the bruise for weeks, you were grounded for a month."

Stiles avoided responding. "It's great seeing you after so long, and being able to talk to you too." Stiles said, looking a little sad and curling up close to Scott and Derek tried not to be jealous of how close they were, even if Stiles did cuddle with him too.

"I missed you too. I didn't know what happened to you that night but I got bit by a wolf and you were missing and I thought you were dead but nobody gave up home that you would come home." Scott said, giving and little smile as he ran his hand down Stiles's back.

"Can we ask what happened to you exactly now?" Derek said eventually after they spent a good while talking, he wanted to let them have their space but also needed to get down to business.

Stiles tilted his head a bit before sighed. "Yeah I suppose I should get onto explaining that. Though it's not very interesting." Stiles said, laying down now and Derek made his way to sit down on the other side of Stiles.

"I think it might be a bit more interesting than you think." Derek, reaching over now to pet Stiles said.

"Well obvious it was the same night Scott got bit, which is kind of my fault because I dragged him out into the woods at night." He spoke, pausing for a second. "I got distracted, there was this sound, it was just, calling to me and I left Scott behind, not even realizing I was wondering off." Stiles said, crossing one paw over the other. "There was a witch, I can't really describe her now, middle aged, hair graying at the roots, gray eyes, she wasn't ugly like they described in children's books." Stiles said and Derek and Scott listened patiently, they didn't know much about their current witch either so this could be valuable information. "She tricked me, knew what sounds called to my kind and she asked a couple of questions." Stiles would have shrugged if he could have. "Asked things about my species and if I'd run away to be her pet." His black lips tugged downward. "I told her no and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the woods under a log, it felt familiar but I couldn't remember how, good familiar though, I couldn't shift back and I only realized I couldn't talk when I ran into a rough werewolf in the woods shortly after. I don't remember much about it honestly. The one thing I do know though is," Stiles paused for a moment sighing.

"And that is?" Derek asked, eyebrows furrowed together.

"I think she's back?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some comfort and fluff I suppose.

There was a pause for a long moment in the room, making the air feel heavy on their shoulders like iron. Both Scott and Derek sucked in a deep breath and shared a look, they weren't the closest of pack mates but at the moment they were thinking the same thing. The chances of this witch being the same one they are hunting at the moment was fairly high. Scott's eyes flashed blue briefly and Derek knew it was at the thought that the witch in town was the same one that stuck his best friend in his second form, took him away from him for years, made Stiles' father worry and become thin in the face with permanent dark circles under his eyes while he stayed up late at night staring at the front door, just hoping his son would come home.

Derek took another deep breath and let it out slowly at he leaned back into the couch, absentmindedly reaching a hand out to stroke over red fur and rub at black tipped ears.

"What makes you think she's back?" He asks after a long moment, looking down at Stiles with serious eyes, he would never admit that it was concern that swam in the depths of his irises instead.

Stiles folded his ears back against his head, thinking as he picked out his words carefully. "The woods," he said eventually, wet black nose twitching. His gaze trailing away from Derek's and amber orbs turning a bit dazedly into the space in front of him. "They feel different, like the night in the woods. It's not in the fashion that the Alpha was here, he had a different kind of aura that filled the trees. Her's is even darker then that, more ominous and pulling." He told them.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows together a little at the words. He hadn't noticed much of a difference in the forest, though he didn't know all that much about werefoxes either. "You can feel the 'aura'?" He couldn't help but say it in such a doubtful way, the words just didn't fit right in his mouth. It always seemed of something of legend, characters in books talking about a colored glow around someone and calling it an 'aura'.

Scott frowned at him and Stiles chuckled lightly. "Yeah it's not really like that, I don't know, I can't really explain it. I'm just more in tune with the forest I guess. I can tell when it changes, I notice the slightest differences, like when that mountain lion came into the area a year ago and attacked two hikers. I instantly noticed when the forest changed, that the birds started to sing less and rabbits spent more time in their burrows." He said, tilting his head a little as he look to Derek. "I notice it, sometimes the change is natural, like the mountain lion, or it's surreal, like when the witch was here before. Wrong and out of place, washing over the woods like a thick fog full of danger but drawing you in like a strong current of longing."

Derek wasn't sure what to make of that, he never really noticed the changes in the forest like that. Season changes mostly, otherwise he wasn't that deeply in tune with the forest like Stiles described to him. He didn't really feel a presence of danger in the woods, ever, not even when said mountain lion was lurking around in the woods. They had played a hand in getting it taken care of, the wild cat moved to a different location farther away from civilization and micro chipped so that if it ever attacked again it could be handled easily.

"You won't really notice he all that much when just glancing at her." Stiles suddenly continued. "She really looks like any other aging woman, brown hair with a round face. She wore a dark heavy dress when she cursed me. I can't remember it perfectly or anything, I remember the tinkling sound of bracelets on her wrists and if I saw her, I'd immediately know it was her. She has this pull to her, it makes you want to approach her, do as she asks."

Scott suddenly tenses up a little and Derek's eyes flick over to him quickly, silently demanding an explanation of his sudden reaction.

"Someone came into the clinic the other day, an older woman, she had a squirrel that was injured. It wasn't that bad but I wanted to put her above everyone else in the waiting room and help her out. I even carried the medicine for the poor thing out to her car." He's frowning, his expression saying he was deep in thought so neither of the two pushed. "She had brown hair tied back in a bun with graying roots and dull gray eyes. She was sweet faced with crows feet at the corners of her eyes. She had brass bracelets on her wrists." Scott continued, listing off what he could remember about her. "It was a little odd, she demanded me be the one to take care of the squirrel. She was a little strange but really nice, her fingers were really long and spindly too." He rattled on, Stiles taking in every word he said.

"Is that it? Do you remember anything specific she said?" Stiles asked, standing up suddenly but not moving off the couch. His tail flicked in aggravation, they had only just been reunited but Derek could see the bond and care still strong between then. He absolutely did not feel a bit of tightening in his chest at the thought.

"Yeah, there was something she said that stood out to me. She said she hoped to see me again soon, which hadn't made any sense to me since who would hope to see their vet again soon, right?" Scott said and Stiles groaned loudly.

"She didn't mean about another animal! If she did mean an animal she meant you!" Stiles shouted and Scott leaned away from him a little, looking a bit surprised by his outburst before he relaxed and had an expression of nostalgia on his face, clearly remembering something.

Stiles jumps onto the back of the couch then, huffing angrily and making irritated fox sound, Derek couldn't really describe them if he tried, there just wasn't any way too. His fur was fluffed up and he trudged the back of the couch a couple of time and Scott looked just a bit amused by the action and it made Derek wonder if Stiles use to pace when they were younger too. Stiles' ears moved in every which way before he hopped from the couch to the coffee table, sliding and little on the slick surface before turning around to the two of them.

"We need to get rid of her before she traps one of you into your wolf bodies." He said and he shifts on his front paws and Derek could tell he wanted to do something but he couldn't figure out what. Stiles came across to him as the kind of person who wanted to get things done as fast as possible, before anyone else got hurt.

"We need to get you back into your human form though, you can't really go out looking for a witch in that form." Scott pointed out and Derek found himself nodding in agreement.

Stiles glared at them before giving a sharp bark that made the both of them jump. "Well we have to do something don't we?" He said, raising his voice while his ears folded back.

"The pack can look into it, we'll write down a description of her and give it to all of them to keep an eye out for her anywhere. Until then there isn't anything you can do except for learn to shift back into your human form. If we find her sooner, great, if not then we will when you can actually do something." Derek decided, setting his jaw in determination not to budge on it, no matter how much the fox protested.

Stiles opened his mouth to protest before he clicked it shut, looking back and forth between both wolves before jumping off the table and trotting around the couch, heading towards his nest made up off blankets and Derek's old T-shirts. Derek knew if he could, he would be stomping his feet.

"Stiles come on!" Scott called back, standing up to follow his old friend. Derek hesitated for a moment before getting up to follow.

The watched Stiles disappear underneath a pile of blankets, his tail the last thing to slip under, the pile moving slightly with his breathing.

"Getting angry and hiding from us isn't getting any closer to you learning how to shift again." Derek huffed, squatting down and starting to reach towards one of his shirts. The pile starting to rumble in warning, Derek resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sound.

"Yeah, well what if I can't ever shift again anyway?" He questions, voice huffy but loosing it's affect from being muffled by layers of cloth.

Scott kneeled down at well. "Hey, you know you can right?" The only answer being a small shift in the pile.

Derek frowned in aggravation and grabbed one of the shirts to yank away, a red and white snout lashed out of the blankets suddenly and sharp teeth sunk into his hand. They all stilled for a moment.

Derek and Stiles gaze locked together, one tired and the other full of surprise at his action. Derek could smell the dread pouring out of Scott, he knew the beta thought he was going to kill the fox. Derek sighed heavily and reached a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

The bite didn't hurt all that much, sure it stung and ached a bit, especially from the teeth still sunken into his flesh but it would heal in minutes none the less. He calmed himself for a moment and waited for Stiles to pull away, ears flattened back and looking a tad apologetic now.

"Stiles, you won't be able to shift again if you don't have faith in yourself in being able to learn again. If you can find that somewhere inside of you then I won't even bother wasting out time trying to teach you." He could feel Scott burning gaze into his side, his scent shifting from dread to heated anger quickly towards his Alpha but he ignored it casually. "However if you can find the ability to believe in yourself and trust in me, I know you will be able to shift again. I've only known you for a couple of days but you're too smart for you not to be able to." Derek said, giving the fox just a small smile with his gentle words. He meant what he said, he had no reason to lie.

Stiles hesitated again for a moment before crawling out of the blankets and into Derek's lap, the walled off wolf letting his guard down for a moment to wrap his arms around the red animal and pull him to him. "I can do it. I'm just scared I'll fail." He whispered.

"You won't" Derek said without a single doubt.

The day had went fine from there, well excluding Scott "politely" asking Derek to leave the his apartment so that he and Stiles could catch up in private. Without much else to do, Derek had gone for a long run around the block, or many blocks that is. When Derek returned home hours later, the sun setting over his building he didn't smell Scott in the loft anymore and it was very quiet. It made a bit of panic rise up in his gut until he spotted Stiles' nose followed by red fur sticking out of his nest in the corner of the room.

He sighed and relaxed his shoulders before making his way to the kitchen to make himself something that resembled food. Derek wasn't a bad cook but he didn't go all out when it came to cooking, he didn't burn things at least. Derek stuck to making himself a ham and turkey sandwich, raising his brow when he heard the tapping sound of claws on the floor. Announcing Stiles' approach as he came into the kitchen, nostrils flaring as he scented the air before licking his lips.

Derek silently pulled more slices of meat out of the packaging before placing them on a paper plate and setting it on the kitchen table before sitting himself down in one of the chairs. He took a bite out of his sandwich, not even acknowledging the taste of it as he lazily watched Stiles hop from the floor and onto the table to start to scarf down the food.

Derek had learned in the short time of him being here that Stiles' eating habits were the same since the day he found him, hasty and messy. He at first thought it had been because of not having a decent meal in a while before he came to terms with the fact that sloppy was just the foxes way of eating. Derek knows he would be the kids to talk with his mouth full had he been a human.

It's peaceful, Isaac is off who knows where and it's just the two of them eating in silence. There's nothing awkward about it and the air is relaxed like they had known each other for years and they didn't need to fill the silence with ridiculous amounts of chatter, they were able to enjoy each others company without sound past a swallow.

Stiles finished eating first, he always does, he didn't leave though, just laid down on the table with his paws stretched out in front of him, ember brown eyes watching Derek but he didn't feel scrutinized like he usually did under someone elses gaze. He didn't have the need to glare and make them turn their eyes away from him, make them regret ever looking at him in the first place. Derek usually saw himself something that didn't need to be looked upon, unworthy of kind gazes but he was comfortable under Stiles', like it was a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders on a snowy night. Nothing about the fox made Derek uncomfortable.

It was Stiles that broke the silence between them, only moment after Derek swallowed down the last bite of his meager meal. "Scott asked me to stay at his place."

The words make ice trail down Derek's back and fire bubble up in his belly, he wouldn't be able to tell you why and he tried to keep his expression blank, uncaring but he knew he was failing, feeling his shoulders tense and eyes trail up to look at the animal curiously, waiting for him to continue.

Derek watches Stiles' eyes move over him a little and it takes him only a moment to realize that he is looking for some kind of reaction from him, though he's uncertain of what exactly he would be looking for. "What did you say?" He asked eventually when he came to terms that Stiles wasn't talking until he responded, voice steady despite feeling like his entire body was off kilter,tilting and making little sense to him.

Stiles' ears go back as he narrows his eyes at Derek a little, moving to a sitting position now. "I told him I'll think about it. But I don't really know Allision and he's changed a lot of the years. I don't know, it kind of feels like I'd be moving in with a stranger." He says and not those same eyes that had been searching him a moment ago were avoiding him, looking anywhere but him and his ears stayed flat.

"I'm a stranger." Derek says, confused. Him and Scott were best friends right? Known each other for years before the accident.

Stiles didn't say anything at first, ducking his head down before peering up at him shyly. "You don't feel like one."

Something about the words makes his heart soar and his wolf want to howl, warmth blossoming in his chest while his throat tightened just a little with implacable emotion. He had to clear his throat a little before he could respond. "You can stay here as long as you like, you're always welcome here." He says and now it's him that can't look at the fox, eyes locked to the doorway just to the right of him but he can feel the positive energy radiating off of Stiles from where he sits.

Because his eyes are trained away and blood is rushing to his head while he tries to fight down a blush he doesn't realize Stiles is approaching him until he feels warm breath on his cheek, followed by a small lick and a nuzzle, making his head whip around quickly to look at Stiles in surprise.

The fox stepped back, one ear folding while he studies Derek for a moment and Derek can feel his eyes a bit wide from surprise, not use to the affection. Stiles must decide it's alright because a moment later he's stepping forward again to tuck his head into Derek's neck.

A soft "thank you" is mumbled out and they stay like that for a long moment, just enjoying each others touch. One of Derek's hands subconsciously coming up to run through the thick fur at the scruff of Stiles' neck and down his back.

The loud sound of the apartment door rolling open was what made them part from each other, Stiles making a odd sound that Derek assumed was a cough that made him smile fondly.

"Ugh, what is that smell?" Isaac complains as he walks around into the kitchen, pulling his scarf off while he came in, nose tilted up in the air and eyebrows furrowed together in disgust. "Smells like pent up emotions." He complains and Derek finds himself forcing down a blush again.

Isaac looked between Stiles and Derek from a moment before turning back around and walking back out of the kitchen. "You know what, never mind." He says with a wave of his hand. "I'm ordering myself Chinese and getting _nothing_ for you two!" He calls over his shoulders, already pulling his phone out of his pocket.

When Derek's eyes trailed back over to Stiles he shrugged his shoulders a little. "Good thing we already ate?" To which he earned a glare from the fox.

"You think that was enough to fill me up? Not to mention you! One little measly sandwich for a big bad werewolf like you? I don't think so! No way that was enough, have you looked at you lately? You're _huge_! Alpha predators like you need to eat, man!" Stiles rants before he's hoping off the table, both of them ignoring the sudden loud groan coming from Isaac's room.

Derek's trying not to pleased by the foxes words. Trying to shove away the potential thought that Stiles was acting like a mate just then, caring for his well being along with pointing out his size. Derek knew he was big but he always was aware that in a Were community potential mates will often comment one's animal form, including their size and a bigger animal form typically was taken as a stronger Were. Derek shook his head, it had been so casual, there was no way that Stiles had meant in that way. Derek told himself it was just his wolf being hopeful about a potential mate showing interest.

That made Derek pause as he was standing, when had he begun to think of Stiles as a potential mate? He scowled and ran a hand through his hair in thought. Derek would have to figure out what to do about that. The thought was left behind however when Stiles came running into the room, Derek's cell phone in his mouth.

He jumped back onto the table with a huff and dropped it down none too gently. "Now then, since Isaac thinks he's so special for getting Chinese I say we get some Thai food up in here." He said.

Derek rolled his eyes but picked up the phone anyway.

They wound up not getting Thai because the place had closed down in the time that Stiles was stuck as a fox, in the end the ordered pizza again, packed down with meat that cost more then the pizza alone had.

Stiles had been the one to yell at Derek to answer the door because he had decided to take a shower in the mean time, which lead to him talking to the pizza delivery guy in nothing but a towel, much to Stiles' amusement and because the fox was laughing in the background Derek had the slam the door in the poor guys face after handing over the money because he was afraid of him asking about what the odd sound was, and he couldn't exactly explain that it was just a werefox dying of laughter on the couch.

"Shut up." Derek growled out at him with a frown on his face but Stiles just laughed more.

"You look like a angry pupp-hey!" He cut off to jump up because Derek had pinched his ear.

"I am not a puppy. If anything, Scott is." Derek said, smirking just a little as he plopped down on the couch, not caring to get changed and setting the pizza down in between them.

Stiles chuckled, calming down. "Yeah, he is, you've seen the 'look' right? The one he gives you whenever he's confused or something." Derek shakes his head but can't hold down the small smile. "Of course you had! It's killer! Luckily it stopped working on me after a year of being his friend."

"Which lead you to being confident enough to bite him apparently." Derek mused out as he opened the box and pulled out a slice of pizza, unfazed by the burn on the roof of his mouth when he took the first bite.

"I couldn't help it! I was younger then and didn't have as much control!" Stiles protested before pulling the cheese off of a slice.

It continued like that for a while, bickering back and forth and just talking up until the large pizza box was empty except for a few crusts, Stiles adamant about not eating them.

"So we can start some training to get you to be able to shift again tomorrow." Derek eventually brings up, turning on the T.V. Stiles' ears go back.

"I guess so." He said, voice exposing how unsure of himself he still was.

"You'll be able to shift again in no time, don't worry. I'll help you." Derek says, leaning back more into the couch.

"I trust you, it's just been so long since I've been human." Stiles said laying down and placing his head onto his front paws. "I'll be able to see my Dad again." He says, his voice getting a little softer.

"He'll be thrilled to see you alive." Derek told him, reaching over to pet the top of his head gently. "Just think of all the other things you will be able to do too."

"Hold a pencil, leave the apartment, drive car, I wonder if my dad still had Roscoe," he lists, pausing for a moment before looking at Derek in the corner of his eyes. "Kiss someone." Voice quite, just barely above a whisper.

Derek tries not to think that he means him but he shifts a little in his seat anyway, filling with anticipation on hope. His wolf excited at even the thought. When had he started to feel this way about Stiles? He was still a fox! Derek cleared his throat with a nod of his head. "Yup, all of those things."

"Tomorrow then." Stiles says, a little more sure of himself but not quite there.

"Tomorrow."

**Author's Note:**

> I figured I should give a little more information about how newborn were's work. All were's are full shift and when they are born they are either born when their mother is in human form or in animal form. If they are born with the mother in human form they will not shift until they are between 1-2 years old, it's the same way reversed. If they are born in animal form then they will "age" slower meaning typical mile stones for animals like eyes opening and walking happen later, this is why Stiles' despite being a couple months old is still blind at the moment but his ears are open. His eyes would be opening about the same time that he would start crawling as a human and thus shortly would follow the walking and by about 1-2 years old he would be able to shift into a human with some coaxing from Claudia. Babies born in animal form tend to be a bit more "wild" in character as they grow up.
> 
> All sorry for any mistakes, I do not have a Beta and even when I read over things I tend to miss things.


End file.
